TBILISI, December 17. /TASS/. Several hundred people have gathered in front of the building of Georgia’s parliament in downtown Tbilisi for another anti-government rally, a TASS correspondent reported.
The protesters have blocked traffic along Rustaveli Avenue in the vicinity of the parliamentary building. Some of the demonstrators marched to the site through the city center. The rally is being held peacefully, with the police not interfering.
Along with Tbilisi, protest rallies are being held in two more large cities, Batumi and Kutaisi.
The current wave of protests was sparked by Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze's statement on November 28 when he said that the ruling Georgian Dream - Democratic Georgia party had decided to postpone any talk about launching accession negotiations until late 2028 and decline any funding from the European Union. According to the premier, the decision comes after repeated attempts by the EU to blackmail Georgia with promises of launching the talks in exchange for Tbilisi revoking certain laws passed by the country’s parliament, and calls for sanctions against Georgian authorities.
Demonstrations are held daily in front of the parliament building. The first week of protests was the most intense. Some of the demonstrators were launching pyrotechnics toward riot police, who, in turn, were using water cannons and tear gas. In recent days, the protests have become peaceful.