Georgia: Opposition party plans protest in Tbilisi April 18 /update 1

Event

Shalva Natelashivili, the leader of the Georgian Labour Party (SLP), is calling for supporters to gather in Tbilisi on Thursday, April 18, to protest proposed regulations on taxis. During a speech on Friday, April 12, Natelashivili threatened to launch an indefinite sit-in outside of the Parliament building if the government refused to delay implementing the new regulations. He also asked for supporters to carry out an associated general strike. The protest is scheduled to being at 15:00 (local time) on Thursday. Other related demonstrations, particularly by taxi drivers, are also possible. Heightened security measures and localized traffic disruptions are anticipated around all protest sites. Disruptions to taxi services and availability is also possible in the coming days.

Context

Taxi drivers held a demonstration in Tbilisi on April 12 to demand that authorities cancel or postpone the implementation of new regulations affecting taxis, primarily the mandate requiring all taxis be painted white. The new regulations are currently slated to enter into effect on October 1. A similar protest took place on March 20, when over 100 taxi drivers blocked Tbilisi's central Rustaveli Avenue on foot and in their cars to protest the new taxi regulations. Drivers demanded the government either cancel the new rules or postpone their enforcement until 2025.

Advice

Individuals in Georgia, particularly in Tbilisi, are advised to monitor the situation and avoid all protests and demonstrations as a precaution.