More than ten anti-government protests will take place in Tbilisi and other cities in Georgia on January 25.
Points of attention
- More than ten anti-government protests are scheduled in Tbilisi and other cities in Georgia on January 25, with demands for new parliamentary elections and the release of rally participants.
- The protest movement in Georgia, sparked by the suspension of EU accession negotiations, has been ongoing for 59 days and continues to gain momentum with various public groups joining the demonstrations.
- Protesters are expressing dissatisfaction with the legitimacy of the recent presidential elections and are calling for a new election process.
- Protest actions involve diverse groups such as students, musicians, psychologists, and residents of different districts, showcasing widespread support for the cause.
- Rallies against pro-Russian authorities in Georgia have intensified since the suspension of EU accession negotiations, leading to regular clashes with law enforcement and demands for political reforms and the release of political prisoners.
Protest movement in Georgia is gaining momentum
Protests in Georgia have been going on for 59 days.
At 2:30 PM local time, a planned protest by students of the Tbilisi Free and Agrarian Universities will begin. They will gather near the Kakha Bendukidze University Campus in Digomia and from there will march with stops near the offices of the Public Broadcaster, Imedi, and POSTV.
At 4:00 PM, the musicians' union is organizing a rally on the territory of the old hippodrome. The rally will remind people of Bidzina Ivanishvili's unfulfilled promise to build a central park.
Residents of Tbilisi's Saburtalo district will continue their traditional march. At 5:00 PM, they will gather near the Delisi metro station, from where they will walk to the Public Broadcaster office, and then join the general evening action on Rustaveli Street.
A march in honor of Mikhe Khelashvili, a poet and member of the anti-Soviet resistance in Georgia, has been announced for 6:00 p.m. Participants will meet at Republic Square and march to the parliament.
At 7:00 PM, psychologists are organizing a protest march from the first building of Tbilisi State University to the parliament.
The "March of Dissatisfied with Prices" will begin at Republic Square at 8:30 p.m. Participants will head to parliament to state that, along with their political demands, they are concerned about the problem of inflation.
Protest actions are also planned today in Kutaisi, Zugdidi, Telavi, and Batumi.
In Batumi, in addition to the traditional evening gathering near the Constitutional Court, the local branch of the "National Movement" is also planning its own action. The party said that they will gather supporters and demand the release of the third president of Georgia, Mikheil Saakashvili, and other political prisoners. The gathering is at 6:00 PM near the sea station on Gogebashvili Street.
Rallies against pro-Russian authorities in Georgia
A wave of protests swept Georgia after Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze announced the suspension of four-year negotiations for EU accession on November 28, 2024.
This move provoked daily mass protests that often turned violent, with police regularly using riot police, tear gas, and water cannons to disperse demonstrators.
Protesters are taking to the streets, demanding new parliamentary elections and the release of 53 rally participants against whom criminal cases have been opened.
On December 14, 2024, the Georgian Electoral College elected Mikheil Kavelashvili, a former football player and a member of the People's Power party, which formally broke away from the ruling party, as president. He was the only candidate, and the opposition did not participate in the process.
The legitimacy of the presidential elections in Georgia is not recognized by the fifth president, Salome Zurabishvili, and the opposition. Zurabishvili has stated that her mandate will be extended until a new president is elected by the new parliament.
On January 23, thousands of people joined a protest at Tbilisi's New Theater demanding the release of political prisoners.
