INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Georgian authorities on Friday fired water cannon and tear gas ondemonstrators, as thousands took to the streets for a second day to object
the federal government delaying EU subscription talks.The Black Sea nation has been rocked by turmoil given that the judgment Georgian Dream
party stated victory in October parliamentary elections that the pro-EU opposition decried as falsified.In a televised address to the
country, pro-Western President Salome Zurabishvili at loggerheads with the ruling party stated: The resistance movement has actually begun
I stand in solidarity with it
We will remain united until Georgia attains its goals: to go back to its European path, secure new elections
Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidzes declaration Thursday that Georgia will not look for to open accession talks with the European Union till
2028 ignited a furious response from the opposition and two days of protests.On Friday, AFP reporters saw riot cops fire water cannons and
tear gas at pro-EU protesters gathered outside the parliament in Tbilisi who tossed eggs and fireworks.Clashes broke out later on between
protesters and cops, who moved in to clear the area outside parliament, beating demonstrators, a few of whom threw objects.Independent
television station Pirveli said one of its journalists covering the protest was hospitalized with serious injuries after authorities beat
her and a cameraman.The interior ministry said two of its staff members had been hurt as protestors verbally and physically assaulted
police officers, throwing various items and pyrotechnics in their instructions
To de-escalate the circumstance, police officers have actually utilized unique steps recommended by law, it said.AFP reporters saw a
little fire on the street at the scene of the protest and two Molotov cocktails being tossed.AuthoritarianIn power for more than a decade,
critics accuse Georgian Dream in the last few years of having moved the nation away from Europe and closer to Russia.Ahead of Octobers
elections, it pushed through legislation targeting independent civil society and curbing LGBTQ rights, drawing cautions from Brussels
Georgian Dreams self-proclaimed federal government is doing whatever it can to destroy Georgias chances of joining the EU, stated one
demonstrator, 39-year-old teacher Laura Kekelidze
They understand their authoritarian guideline is incompatible with EU subscription, she informed AFP
But Georgians belong in Europe, whichs why we are out here in the streets today
The former Soviet republic officially acquired EU candidate status in December 2023
Surveys say 80% of the population backs signing up with the bloc.But earlier this year, Brussels froze Georgias accession procedure, citing
democratic backsliding.Opposition legislators have actually questioned the results of last months parliamentary elections, which gave
Georgian Dream a majority.They are boycotting the new parliament, while President Zurabishvili has sought to annul the election results
through the countrys constitutional court.Punitive attackProtests were also held in other cities throughout Georgia on Friday, independent
TV station Mtavari reported.At least four demonstrators were arrested in Georgias second-largest city, Batumi, local media reported.On
Thursday, an AFP reporter saw riot cops beating tranquil protesters and journalists at the demonstration.Police stated 32 officers had
actually been injured then and 43 protestors apprehended for disobeying lawful police orders and for petty hooliganism
European nations and rights groups on Friday expressed concern over the situation
Police actions in Tbilisi mark another punitive attack on the right to tranquil assembly, Amnesty International said.France, Britain,
Ukraine, Poland, Sweden and Lithuania were among the nations to voice concern.The Council of Europe condemned what it called the ruthless
repression, prompting Georgia to remain devoted to European values
Prime Minister Kobakhidze accused the opposition and the EU ambassador to Georgia of misshaping his words, and insisted membership in the
bloc by 2030 stays his top priority
Georgian Dream MPs voted unanimously Thursday for Kobakhidze to continue as prime minister, even as the opposition boycotts parliament,
which faces a serious authenticity crisis.One author of Georgias constitution, Vakhtang Khmaladze, told AFP that any choices made by the
brand-new parliament including Kobakhidzes election are invalid since it approved its own credentials in infraction of a legal requirement
to await a court ruling on Zurabishvilis quote to annul the election results.
