Russia to the people of Georgia: “An attempted coup” • The mass protests continue for the fourth day in a row
Outside the parliament building in the Georgian capital Tbilisi, thousands of people have gathered again on Sunday evening. They wave European and Georgian flags.
During the demonstrations on Sunday night, riot police deployed tear gas and water cannons, while protesters responded by firing fireworks at the police, according to Georgian media. 44 people, including 27 protesters, 16 police officers and a journalist, needed hospital treatment after the protests, according to the country’s interior ministry.
Does not depart
The country’s president, Salomé Zourabichvili, has sided with the protesters. She has announced that she does not intend to resign when her term of office soon expires and is calling on the government to resume contacts with the EU.
The EU’s new foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas warns the Georgian government after the violent clashes.
Using violence against peaceful protesters is not acceptable, and the Georgian government should respect the Georgian people, she says.
Georgia went to the polls on October 26, but the results have not been recognized by the opposition in the country or by the European Parliament. According to the official election results, the ruling party Georgian Dream won 89 of the 150 seats in the parliament.
“Dark Precipice”
The country’s Prime Minister Irakli Kobachidze says Georgian Dream “of course would not” agree to a new election.
The creation of the new government, based on the October 26 parliamentary elections, has been completed, he said.
Russia, accused of fueling pro-Western forces in Georgia, is reacting angrily to the protests. Dmitry Medvedev, former president and now high-ranking member of the Security Council, calls them an attempted coup.
“Georgia is moving along the same path as Ukraine, towards a dark precipice. This kind of thing usually ends very badly,” he writes on the Telegram messaging service.