In Georgia, Bidzina Ivanishvili is the shadowy billionaire oligarch who is chairman of the ruling Georgian Dream party.
He made all his money in Russia in the 90's and now he lives in his 'Glassle', a space age mansion perched high above Tbilisi, like some kind of Bond villain.
Anyway, the protestors are heading up there this evening. Expect fireworks, at least.
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"The chair of Georgia’s illegitimate Parliament states that, as a result of yesterday’s riot, the Parliament’s cafeteria is completely ruined.
I mean, the cafeteria and Georgia’s European future but yeah, everyone has their own priorities."
Anna Gvarishvili,
Georgian journalist.
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In Tbilisi, Georgia, last night's protests never really stopped. They just moved to the University for the day.
Now it's moving back to the public broadcaster, the parliament, and the GD party chairman Ivanishvili's house.
It feels more and more like it's the end game for the Georgian Dream party, and at this point I don't fancy their chances.
#GeorgiaProtests
#GeorgiaIsEurope
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"Dear international community,
Georgia doesn’t have leadership or legitimate authority. We have an illegitimate, self-proclaimed Parliament that convened unconstitutionally and approved a government, which is therefore also illegitimate.
The illegitimate regime has violated 3 articles of the Constitution, including Article 78, which mandates all state institutions to do everything within their power to ensure the country’s Euro-Atlantic integration."
Anna Gvarishvili,
Georgian journalist
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"Georgian civil servants have made a statement on December 1, “unequivocally denouncing” Irakali Kobakhidze’s announcement about the withdrawal from the EU accession negotiations process and condemning the disproportionate use of force against the peaceful protesters."
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In Georgia it seems like tonight's protests are even bigger than last night's protests. Huge crowds in Tbilisi, Batumi, Kutaisi, Zugdidi, Rustavi, Dmanisi, Lanchkhuti, Kvareli and more.
#GeorgiaProtests
#StandWithGeorgia
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In Tbilisi, Georgia, riot police are once again using water cannons against protestors.
This time the riot police are inside parliament, firing on the protestors outside parliament.
I'm not sure this is how a healthy democracy is supposed to function.
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In Georgia, opposition party leader Zurab Japaridze was arrested this morning during a crackdown on overnight protests in Tbilisi.
The police appear to have deliberately targeted the politician as he was leaving the protest area.
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According to Nika Gvaramia, the leader of "Coalition for Change", after the arrest, the whereabouts of Zurab Japaridze are being determined until now and they will act as usual, the party would act in case of the arrest of its leader.
"Ivanishvili has already started arresting political opponents and thinks that this is how he will interfere with a fair protest - you can't scare anyone! Your story is complete!"
Mamuka Khazaradze,
Georgian Opposition Leader.
#GeorgiaProtest
#StandByGeorgia
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Ivanishvili has already started arresting political opponents and thinks that this is how he will interfere with a fair protest on the street, Mamuka Khazaradze, the leader of the "Strong Georgia" coalition, writes about this on the social network.
"In Georgia, the majority of the arrested protesters have injuries to their heads and faces , broken face bones, eye sockets, open wounds. Have been subjected to systematic beatings between arrest and transport to already overcrowded detention facilities. As reported by lawyers."
Salome Zurabishvili,
President,
Georgia.
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Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania will impose sanctions against the Georgian officials responsible for suppressing pro-E.U. protests in recent days, Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna announced on Sunday.
“The three Baltic States jointly agreed to impose national sanctions against those who suppressed legitimate protests in Georgia. Opponents of democracy & violators of human rights are not welcome in our countries.”
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"Violence against peaceful protesters standing firm for their European & democratic future in Georgia is completely unacceptable. Actions by Georgian government will have direct consequences for the relationship between EU & Georgia."
Lars Lokke Rasmussen,
Foreign Minister,
Denmark.
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Local media in Georgia are reporting that Georgian Deputy Foreign Minister Teimuraz Janjalia has resigned, although we are still waiting for an official statement or any reason for his resignation.
Janjalia is the first member of the ruling Georgian Dream government to resign, so his resignation statement is eagerly awaited.
#GeorgiaProtests
#StandWithGeorgia
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https://news.az/news/georgian-deputy-fm-teimuraz-janjalia-resigns
"Georgians did not expect that their own police would show so much sadism. They did not consider that their cops are being trained by Russian specialists. All protests are suppressed by Russian rules which include inflicting injuries, including in the head of the protestors, necessity of group beatings and so on."
Alexander Nevzorov,
Russian journalist.
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Georgian opposition leader Zurab Japaridze has been released from police custody after being arrested for protesting outside parliament.
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https://oc-media.org/georgian-police-briefly-detain-opposition-leader-zurab-japaridze/
In Georgia, the school children are going on strike today in several towns and cities. There are reports of them blocking the road outside parliament in Tbilisi.
The genie is well and truly out of the bottle.
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In Georgia, about 200 people so far have been detained following protests. They have all been beaten, round the head and in particular the eyes.
While some of these beatings are happening during the protests, reports are coming in that a lot of the beatings are actually happening during detention.
It's not casual police brutality in the heat of the moment, but deliberate targeted punishment beatings of protestors once they are in custody.
#GeorgiaProtests
#StandWithGeorgia
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"Georgia Public defender Levan Ioseliani has said that 124 out of 156 persons (80%) detained during the protest that his office had access to reported being subjected to violence and mistreatment by the police. “The number of citizens claiming that the police used excessive force is growing at an alarming rate,” Ioseliani said and urged law enforcement not to overstep legal boundaries."
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"Following Baltic countries, the EU should immediately put sanctions on those responsible in the ministry of interior & police for the violence of the Georgia uprising…
Time that Europe acts ! … instead of words …."
Guy Verhofstadt,
MEP.
#GeorgiaProtests
#StandWithGeorgia
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In Georgia, the Senior Instructor at the Tactical Training Department of the Police Academy of the Ministry of Internal Affairs Giorgi Gabekhadze resigns.
This is the first resignation of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the department responsible for policing the protests.
#GeorgiaProtests
#StandWithGeorgia
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The Baltic states of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia have announced the first steps of their sanctions against Georgia
All of these Georgian government members are banned from travelling to their countries.
Bidzina Ivanishvili
Vakhtang Gomelauri
Shalva Bedoidze
Ioseb Chelidze
Aleksandre Darakhvelidze
Giorgi Butkhuzi
Zviad Kharazishvili
Mileri Lagazauri
Mirza Kezevadze
Vaja Siradze
Teimuraz Kupatadze
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"You can't defeat these brave, smart and cunning people!
Get away from us! Go to the dark and evil world and rule there!"
Teoko Illustrations,
Georgia.
In Georgia, they're heading into their fifth consecutive night of protests, although it's fairer to say it's one continuous protest at this point. They haven't stopped at all today, with even the schoolchildren going on strike.
While the focus of the anti government protests is the parliament in the capital Tbilisi, today there are also big protests in about 15 towns and cities across Georgia.
They're not backing down.
#GeorgiaProtests
#StandWithGeorgia
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https://www.rferl.org/a/georgia-protests-eu-violence/33223228.html
Police again moved to disperse thousands of demonstrators in Tbilisi on December 2 after more than 200 people were detained during four previous nights of protests amid anger over government plans to suspend EU accession talks through 2028.
Mélanie Joly, Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, announced that Canada intends to “sanction key individuals, as well as companies and entities involved in human rights violations or corruption, based on our sanctions regime”. Canada reiterated its support and solidarity with the Georgian people and expressed concern about the current political situation in Georgia.
You can check this live map of Georgia to see how many protests are currently happening in Georgia.
The last count was 25. Freedom is contagious.
https://caucasus.liveuamap.com/en/2024/2-december-17-nationwide-protests-are-happening-today-in
Nationwide protests are happening today in at least half of Georgia’s cities and towns. Here’s the full list: Batumi, Kobuleti, Ozurgeti, Lanchkhuti, Chokhatauri, Poti, Zugdidi, Chkhorotsku, Tsalenjikha, Martvili, Jvari, Kutaisi, Kharagauli, Tkibuli, Dmanisi, Borjomi, Akhaltsikhe, Khashuri, Dusheti, Gori, Kareli, Telavi, Lagodekhi, Gurjaani, Kvareli, Akhmeta, Rustavi, and Tbilisi. Video shows demonstrations in Tsalenjikha, via Daitove. Explore Caucasus local news alerts & today's headlines geolocated on live map on website or application. Focus on politics, military news and security alerts
"Across Georgia, people are rising against the Russian puppetry regime. From the capital to the smallest towns, this is a movement unlike anything in our history.
The message is clear:
Give me my vote back!
Give me my European future back!"
Salome Zurabishvili,
President,
Georgia.
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"We are troubled by steps taken by the Georgian government to move away from greater integration with Europe."
“As you know, we do not preview sanctions from this podium. However, when we have announcements to make regarding sanctions, we make them.”
Matthew Miller,
U.S. State Department.
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https://frontnews.ge/en/us-stands-with-georgian-people-says-matthew-miller/
During a press briefing, US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller reaffirmed the United States’ support for the Georgian people, expressing deep concern over the actions taken by the Georgian government that deviate from the path of European integration. “We are troubled by steps taken by the Georgian government to move away from greater integration with […]
In Tbilisi, Georgia, not even the president herself knows who these people are who are 'policing' the protests. They are not regular police or specialist riot units or armed forces. They have no identifying marks, just tear gas, rubber bullets and brutality.
Also, only in Tbilisi are the protests becoming violent. Elsewhere in the country, where there are just regular police forces, the protests are peaceful events where you can take the whole family.
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Last night's protests in Tbilisi, Georgia-
There were even more protestors than previous nights.
The 'police' crackdown started very early, with more water cannons and more tear gas, but overall there were less beatings and much less arrests. This wasn't for lack of trying. They were just outmanoeuvred.
It seems the unidentified and unknown special forces terrorising Tbilisi are human after all.
And they're getting tired.
#GeorgiaProtests
#StandWithGeorgia
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Republican Congressman Joe Wilson, Chairman of the U.S. Helsinki Commission, expressed strong support for the Georgian people’s ongoing protests against government violence, drawing parallels to past democratic movements in Eastern Europe. Regarding U.S.-Georgia relations, he clarified that despite claims from Georgian officials, he believes President Donald Trump, a supporter of democracy, “would stand with the people of Georgia, and not with the regime that rigged the elections.”
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“The use of unnecessary or disproportionate force against protesters and media workers is extremely worrying."
“All Georgians from across the political spectrum should be able to express their views about the future of their country freely and peacefully.”
Volker Turk,
UN Human Rights Commissioner.
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Joint statement from parties in the Council of Europe on 'The Grave Political Crisis in Georgia.'
#GeorgiaProtests
#StandWithGeorgia
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"Sixty employees of the Georgian Public Broadcaster, including its prominent faces, TV presenters Nino Zautashvili and Vasil Ivanov-Chikovani, have signed a statement condemning the violent crackdown on protesters and distancing themselves from the Georgian Dream party’s decision to halt the EU membership process until 2028. The document says that the move violates Georgia’s constitutional commitment to European integration."
And, finally, a statement from the U.K. government condemning the police brutality used against protestors in Georgia and the Georgian government's turn away from democratic norms .
At least 5 days late and pretty weak, but welcome all the same.
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-statement-on-the-situation-in-georgia
"Constitutional Court of Georgia issued its decision on rejecting appeals by President Zurabishvili and more than 30 former opposition MPs challenging the constitutionality of the October 26 parliamentary elections.
President Salome Zurabishvili had appealed on November 19, alleging violations of the constitutional principles of secrecy of the vote and universal suffrage in the parliamentary elections. The President asked that the final results be declared unconstitutional."
In Georgia, the statements denouncing the violence against protestors and distancing themselves from the government keep on coming. Yesterday it was the medics and the teachers. Today it's the staff at the public broadcaster and the Civil Society Foundation.
It's a drip, drip effect slowly eroding any standing the government ever had. They are losing all support. Soon they will have to rule by brute force alone.
Do they have it in them?
The Russian disinformation on the Georgia protests is something else. No, Russia is not going to invade and no, George Soros is NOT funding all the protestors. Obvs.
In a nutshell, the Georgian people are protesting the recent rigged elections and the government's unconstitutional decision to stop their E.U. membership bid.
Georgians want new elections. That's it. It's not that radical.
#GeorgiaProtests
#StandWithGeorgia
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Same as Ukraine.
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