Georgian Police Crack Down on Pro-Democracy Protests
By [Your Name], Staff Writer
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Georgian police have brutally cracked down on pro-democracy protesters, marking a significant deterioration of civil rights and a pro-Russia pivot in the EU candidate country.
Police on Tuesday night used water cannons, stun grenades, tear gas, and pepper spray to break up a large protest against a “foreign agents” law that demonstrators say is inspired by Vladimir Putin’s Russia. The violence erupted a day after a rare appearance by pro-Russian oligarch Bidzina Ivanishvili, who is also the founder of the ruling party Georgian Dream.
Violence Escalates Amidst “Foreign Agents” Law Dispute
Ivanishvili took part on Monday in a pro-government rally at which he gave a long, conspiratorial, anti-western speech reminiscent of Russian propaganda, claiming that Georgia was not ruled by “elected authorities, but by foreign agents”. The law prompted several nights of protests last month, but violence escalated on Tuesday night, with riot police beating up protesters and detaining at least 63 people, according to the interior ministry.
Concerns Mount Over Limits on NGOs and Media Outlets
Demonstrators gathered on Tuesday evening after parliament moved ahead with the “foreign agents” law, despite warnings from the EU and the opposition that it emulates Putin’s crackdown on dissent.
The law requires NGOs and media outlets that receive more than 20 per cent of funding from abroad to register with the justice ministry or face fines, raising concerns of Kremlin-style repression and possible prosecution.
Elections and the Country’s Aspirations
With looming elections, Georgian Dream sees the law as a means of keeping the opposition in check and maximizing its chances of holding its parliamentary majority. But for EU-minded Georgians, this marks a serious threat to the country’s aspirations to join the bloc and a rapprochement with Russia.
Government Response and International Concerns
Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili can refuse to sign the law, but the government can override her. Zourabichvili ran as an independent with the backing of Georgian Dream, but has since fallen out with the party and is now a fierce critic. On Tuesday, she described the crackdown as “totally unwarranted, unprovoked and out of proportion”.
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen wrote on the social media platform X on Wednesday night that the country was “at a crossroads”. “The Georgian people want a European future for their country . . . It should stay the course on the road to Europe,” she posted.
Balancing the Struggle for EU Membership
An EU official warned that any punitive action by Brussels could backfire. “The situation is very bad and there are serious concerns within the EU about the policies and behavior of Georgian Dream,” the official said. At the same time, if the EU froze Georgia’s membership bid, it “would simply boost Russian influence in the country and play into the hands of the ruling party”.
“The problem is that on one hand we have a problematic governing party that attacks the EU and does everything against accession while claiming they want to join the EU,” the official said. “On the other hand, we have a staunchly pro-EU population. So it requires balance.”
Violence and Injuries During the Crackdown
The Financial Times witnessed dozens of people, mostly young women, leaving the protest in tears and shaking, their faces reddened by tear gas. According to media reports, paramedics provided first aid to at least 20 protesters who mainly complained of choking and a burning sensation in their eyes. At least one person lost consciousness after being hit by a rubber bullet.
Levan Khabeishvili, leader of the opposition United National Movement, the second largest party in parliament, was also severely beaten up and sent to the hospital, with half of his face beaten and one eye unable to be opened.
“I feel no pain. The head will heal, the eye will heal, and the body will heal. It will go. The struggle against the Putinists must continue,” he said in a video distributed by the party.
Deepening Discontent and Press Freedom Concerns
Several journalists were attacked, including an AFP photographer who was beaten with a rubber baton, despite being clearly identified as a member of the press. The Georgian interior ministry said the police used special measures because the participants in the rally “engaged in verbal and physical confrontations” with law enforcement.
The police response on Tuesday sharply contrasted with the pro-government rally of about 100,000 people the night before, when attendees were bussed in from across the country — “a Putin-style action”, according to Zourabichvili.
Participants at that rally — mostly older people, many from rural areas and the working class — told the FT they had come to support “the motherland”, their “faith” and their “sovereignty”. They also spoke about “western special services” and Nazis infiltrating their country — a perennial theme in Russian propaganda.
Government Comments and Civil Society Response
In his speech, Ivanishvili blamed the west for leaving Georgia and Ukraine “out in the cold” instead of allowing them to join Nato. He alleged that a “global war party” had made those decisions and pitted Georgia against Russia in 2008. That year, Moscow sent its tanks towards Tbilisi in a week-long war that consolidated Russia’s grip on two breakaway Georgian regions.
But Ivanishvili also pledged to bring Georgia into the EU by 2030 — a reflection of strong pro-EU sentiment in the country.
“Ivanishvili rarely makes such public statements, only in situations where he has no other choice,” said Vano Chkhikvadze of the Civil Society Georgia Foundation group in Tbilisi.
