Politics

Crowds stage pro-EU protests in Tbilisi for fifth night

Police in Tbilisi used water cannon against pro-EU protesters. Photo: Reuters
Police in Tbilisi used water cannon against pro-EU protesters. Photo: Reuters
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Protesters gathered in Tbilisi for the fifth consecutive night on Monday to demonstrate against the government's decision to suspend talks on joining the European Union.

Georgian law enforcers were seen using water cannons to disperse the protesters in front of the parliament buildings.

Tensions have been rising for months in the country of 3.7 million people between the ruling Georgian Dream party and opponents, who accuse it of pursuing increasingly authoritarian, anti-Western, and pro-Russian policies.

The crisis has deepened since an announcement on Thursday that the government would freeze EU talks for four years over what it called “blackmail” of Georgia by the bloc. Thousands of pro-EU demonstrators have faced off against police armed with tear gas and water cannons.

Nia Tkheidze, a teacher participating in the protests, said: “We do deserve to be part of the EU and we will never give up until we get to whatever we want.”

Speaking to TVP World on Monday, Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili said that “80% of our population want this European future…and are demanding that their voice is returned to them and that their European future is returned to them.”

She also said that the decision to suspend EU accession talks had created a “civil rebellion movement” in the country.
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