13 Dec 2024 | 06:23 PM UTC
Georgia: Protest activity likely to intensify in Tbilisi and other urban centers through at least mid-December /update 11
Intensifying protests likely in Tbilisi and other cities in Georgia through mid-December. Heightened security, disruptions likely.
Anti-government protest activity will likely intensify in major cities across Georgia through at least mid-December. President Salome Zourabichvili has announced that she will refuse to step down after Parliament chooses her successor on Dec. 14. Additionally, she has accused governmental officials of attempting to obstruct protests denouncing the Dec. 14 presidential appointment by organizing a competing event at Parliament from 19:00 Dec. 14. Large protests are particularly likely on Dec. 14, coinciding with the presidential vote. Clashes and arrests are also particularly likely in the event that officials detain or attempt to detain Zourabichvili after the vote.
Opposition groups are continuing to stage protests to denounce the ruling Georgian Dream party's decision on Nov. 28 to halt EU accession negotiations until 2028. Since late November, more than 400 protesters have been arrested, of whom at least 62 have been sentenced to imprisonment; additionally, over 100 have been fined. More than 150 police officers have been injured in the protests and associated clashes. International bodies have reported incidents of violence against journalists and protesters.
In Tbilisi, thousands of protesters will likely continue to gather at central locations, including the Parliament on Shota Rustaveli Avenue, Freedom Square, the Presidential Palace, the headquarters of the ruling Georgian Dream party, Republic Square, Heroes' Square, and at Tbilisi State University. Related demonstrations are also likely in other cities across the country.
Authorities will likely continue to deploy a heightened security presence to the sites of any protests that materialize. Police will almost certainly attempt to forcibly arrest protesters perceived to be particularly unruly. Transport and business disruptions will probably affect areas subject to protest activity. Additional acts of vandalism and clashes between demonstrators, law enforcement officers, and ideologically opposed individuals cannot be ruled out.
Avoid all demonstrations as a standard precaution. Exercise caution around government and court buildings as well as political party offices. Allow extra time for travel during periods of protest activity, and consider taking alternative routes to circumvent affected areas and any disruptions. If violence breaks out in your area, immediately depart the vicinity and seek shelter in a secure, nongovernmental building. Adhere to all instructions issued by local authorities.
Following the Oct. 26 parliamentary elections, the country's electoral commission announced early Oct. 27 that the ruling Georgian Dream party had won 54 percent of the vote with 99 percent of precincts counted. The electoral commission ordered a partial recount of the vote before once again certifying the result.
On Nov. 30, Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili asserted that she would not leave office when her term ends in December, claiming that the country's parliament is "illegitimate" and the Oct. 26 elections were "stolen." Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, former chairman of the Georgian Dream party, has accused the political opposition of planning a revolution.
