Protests shake Tbilisi as pro-Western opposition persists
The protest in Tbilisi has continued overnight, with local media reporting at around 07:00 that the riot police pushed the last groups of protesters off of Rustaveli.
As of 11:30, around 200 protesters were present at the intersection connecting Melikishvili Street and Chavchavadze Avenue.
Key events from yesterday
Around 100,000 people gathered on Rustaveli Avenue to protest the government’s decision to halt Georgia’s EU accession process.
Protests have also intensified in other Georgian cities, including Batumi, Kutaisi, Gori, Rustavi, Khashuri, Poti, and Zugdidi.
The US has suspended its strategic partnership with Georgia, citing Georgian Dream’s "various anti-democratic actions".
At least four Georgian ambassadors have resigned in protest against the government’s handling of the protests.
Zourabichvili says she remains in office despite elections
President Salome Zourabichvili has vowed to remain in office after her term expires in December, stating that an "illegitimate parliament" cannot appoint her successor.
Recall that protests in Georgia have erupted after the victory of Georgian Dream, the ruling party, following the recent parliamentary elections on 26 October. Previously, pro-Western opposition forces that did not want the ruling party accused it of adopting the law on Foreign Agents.
It should be noted that the Georgian government has been subjected to a number of sanctions by the West since it adopted laws that contradict the interests of the West. Until Georgia's decision on Foreign Agents in May, its accession to the European Union was being discussed in the European Parliament. Today, the West accuses Georgia of not obeying its laws and is trying to make Georgia pay for this with the chaotic situation it has created.
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