Tbilisi march marks protest anniversary over stalled EU bid

Several thousand people marched through central Tbilisi on Friday to mark the anniversary of the mass protests triggered by the Georgian government’s decision to freeze the country’s EU integration process, News.Az reports, citing Georgian media.

Demonstrators moved toward the Georgian Parliament from two starting points — the first building of Tbilisi State University and the headquarters of the Public Broadcaster — before joining together near the Philharmonic Hall. Traffic on major central streets was brought to a standstill.

Opposition parties, civil society groups, and relatives of more than 100 activists facing criminal prosecution over past protests joined the rally. Marchers carried Georgian, EU, Ukrainian, German, and US flags. A large banner at the front of the column read “One year of continuous resistance,” while protesters periodically chanted “To the end!” Many banners displayed the rally’s key demand: “Government resign.”

Protests have continued since 28 November 2024, when, following disputed parliamentary elections, the newly approved government and Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze announced that talks with the EU would be put on hold until 2028. The decision sparked outrage among pro-European Georgians. The first week of demonstrations was marked by clashes with police and forceful dispersals.

News.Az