Anti-government protests erupted in Georgia when thousands of demonstrators blocked a motorway near Tbilisi. At least 16 people, including opposition leader Nika Melia and former Tbilisi Mayor Giorgi Ugulava, were arrested. The demonstration, which took place outside a shopping complex, marked a resurgence of protests that had recently waned.
The unrest stems from multiple grievances against the ruling Georgian Dream party, including accusations of rigging the October 2024 election and its controversial decision to postpone EU accession talks until 2028. The government maintained the election was legitimate while deploying significant security forces to manage the protests.
What's going on in #GeorgiaProtests? Police violence on Tbilisi streets escalates as government attempts to "slow boil" the pro-EU protests
Multiple videos of police beating up protesters emerge: here they beat up a lone demonstrator they had just snatched.
The violence comes… pic.twitter.com/gu88oTTpnN
— Euromaidan Press (@EuromaidanPress) February 2, 2025
During Sunday’s confrontation, Reuters reported one protester was found unconscious by the roadside. Unverified social media footage showed riot police, some masked, forcefully dispersing crowds, with injured demonstrators being taken to ambulances.
The situation has drawn international attention, particularly after former President Salome Zourabichvili’s resignation in December 2024 and her subsequent warning at the Hudson Institute about Russian influence. She characterized Georgia’s constitutional crisis as part of Moscow’s broader strategy to expand its regional power and test tactics for interfering in European elections.
Adding to the tensions, the United States sanctioned Georgian Dream’s founder, billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, in December 2024. The US Treasury Department cited his use of Russian-acquired wealth to advance authoritarian policies, including the introduction of legislation that mirrors Kremlin restrictions on free speech.
Protesters continue their nightly demonstrations, demanding new parliamentary elections, political reforms, and the release of detained activists. As the political crisis deepens, the government has shown no signs of conceding to these demands.
Read more:
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- Georgia quits PACE over calls for new elections and political prisoner release
- Georgian democratic leader rallies support for Tbilisi
- Georgia’s pro-Western president leaves palace. What does this mean for the protests?
- “I take the legitimacy with me.” Georgia’s President exits palace as new pro-Russian leader takes power
