ProjectFearlessness
"Giorgi Gakharia, the former Minister of Internal Affairs under Georgian Dream, who still maintains close ties to the structure, claims that more than 100 police officers have submitted resignation requests in protest, but the Minister is refusing to approve them."
Anna Gvarishvili,
Georgian journalist.
"Despite domestic and international pressure, the Georgian government is intensifying the crackdown.
The EU has deplored authorities’ repressive actions, but it's time for decisive steps. The EU should seek independent investigations into the post-election violence by experts from the Council of Europe and the U.N., calling on them to examine the unlawful use of force, arbitrary detention, and the mounting evidence of ill-treatment and torture."
Human Rights Watch
https://www.hrw.org/news/2024/12/10/georgias-human-rights-crisis-deepens-amid-mass-protests
"Emmanuel Macron spoke with Bidzina Ivanishvili, the powerful billionaire behind the ruling Georgian Dream party, to express his urgent concerns over the deteriorating state of democracy in the country.
The call was initiated by Macron and comes amid a violent crackdown on protesters following disputed elections in October that Georgian Dream won.
Macron condemned law enforcement for the use of excessive force against nonviolent protesters and journalists in general."
Georgia Set To Elect Far-Right President In Indirect Vote Boycotted By Opposition
An electoral college dominated by the ruling Georgian Dream is set to appoint far-right former soccer star Mikheil Kavelashvili as president on December 14 following a disputed election process that the country’s current president and opposition say was rigged.
"While on the streets of Tbilisi, Georgia – now in its fourteenth consecutive day of protests against the government’s decision to suspend the EU accession process – law enforcement violence continues, the European Union warns that it will “consider further measures” against those responsible for the democratic backsliding and repression.
However, Hungary promises: “We will veto” any sanctions on Georgian officials."
Georgia: EU studies "further measures" against crackdown on protests. But Hungary warns: "We will veto"
The 27 member states will consider possible sanctions against Georgian officials responsible for the violence on pro-EU protesters on Monday, Dec. 16. Unanimity is needed, but "if such a proposal comes up, Hungary will block it," says Budapest's foreign minister
In Georgia, the independent Mtavari T.V. Channel is under threat of being closed down by it's own co founder Zaza Okuashvili. It's suspected he is being pressured (some kind of financial blackmail, not yet known) by Georgian Dream party chairman Bidzina Ivanishvili.
The journalists at the channel are fighting back and promising to stay on air as long as they can.
On the bloody Christmas tree outside parliament in Tbilisi, Georgia, protestors are hanging pink coffins with bloody handprints on them.
They allude to widespread rumours about Tbilisi mayor and Georgian Dream party member Kakha Kahladze.
The mind boggles.
It's the 14th day of protests across Georgia, and they are just not stopping.
Different groups are organizing their own separate marches before arriving at the main protest point outside parliament in Tbilisi, Georgia.
Yesterday there were the architects and then the doctors, earlier there were teachers and the latest are the civil servants.
The banner says "We serve people and state! We defend Georgian constitution"
A delegation from the European Parliament has arrived in Georgia. The MEPs include Rasa Juknevičienė (Lithuania), Michał Szczerba (Poland), Nathalie Loiseau (France), Bernard Guetta (France), Tobias Cremer (Germany), and Reinier van Lanschot (Netherlands).
They are meeting now with opposition parties and later with President Zourabichvilli. The fact they are meeting with the opposition and not the ruling Georgian Dream party speaks volumes.
Zelenskyy calls for stronger action against Georgia.
"Zelenskyy noted that Georgia has rejected the EU integration and that the Georgian government “is completely under the political control of the Russian Federation.” He said that the US and EU have not been strong enough to withstand Russian influence”
“What strong measures have been taken by the United States of America? What strong measures have the European states taken? I don’t see any, to tell you frankly."
In Tbilisi, Georgia today, it is the turn of the Tech sector to march to parliament as they announce a 2 day strike.
Here they are protesting in a language all the tech geeks will understand.
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15 days into national protests against the Georgian government, and the Georgian people have endured. They've endured government propaganda and gaslighting, arbitrary detentions, hospitalisations, tear gas, water cannons, rubber bullets, unidentified special forces and regime thugs.
Still, they protest. Here's how they protested last night, with a beautiful rendition of a traditional polyphonic Georgian song, about endurance, naturally.
Hear the people sing.
In 2023, young Georgian pianist Giorgi Gigashvili won the prestigious Arthur Rubinstein International Piano Master Competition.
In 2024, he's on the streets of Tbilisi, demanding the release of Tbilisi Conservatoire student Anri Kakhbadze, detained after protesting against the government.
This is becoming the norm in Georgia now. Protest is everybody, everywhere, everyday.
"Ambassador of the United Kingdom to Georgia Gareth Ward expressed his dismay at the decisions made by the Georgian Dream party, including those seen as a deviation from Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic path. “We are shocked by the violence used by law enforcement and informal groups,” the Ambassador said in his address in the Georgian language, calling the actions “unacceptable” and urging their immediate cessation."
This is Rasa Juknevičienė meeting with Georgian President Salome Zourabichvilli. Jukneviciene leads a delegation of MEP's visiting Tbilisi, Georgia today.
The delegation plans to meet with opposition leaders, the president, civil society groups and members of independent media in Georgia. Significantly, they have announced no plans to meet with the Georgian government.
For now, everybody is remaining tight lipped about exactly what is being discussed. Watch this space...
"We ask the Georgian authorities to re-conduct these elections under certain conditions and in accordance with the norms that we in the European Union respect."
Michal Szczerba,
MEP,
Poland.
ევროპარლამენტარი მიჰალ შჩერბა - ჩვენ ვთხოვთ საქართველოს ხელისუფლებას, ეს არჩევნები თავიდან ჩაატაროს გარკვეული პირობებით და იმ ნორმების შესაბამისად, რომელსაც ჩვენ ევროკავშირში პატივს ვცემთ
უნდა ითქვას, რომ საპარლამენტო არჩევნები თავისუფალი და სამართლიანი არ ყოფილა, - ამის შესახებ ევროპარლამენტარმა მიჰალ შჩერბამ
"Amid the violent crackdown on peaceful demonstrators in Georgia, we can consider the fact that the propaganda arm of the brutal government, Imedi TV, is operated and managed from the UK through the company Hunnewell Partners.
Is it time for the Criminal Security Service to conduct an investigation into the operation from this country in the direction of pro-Russian propaganda and incitement to violence against peaceful demonstrators?"
Blair McDougall,
MP,
U K.
In Tbilisi, Georgia tomorrow, there are 14 separate protests planned. Different sectors of society are all planning individual protests - lawyers, psychologists, the wine industry, musicians, d.j.s, H.R, Marketing, P.R...., they're all likely to meet up at the end of the day for the 16th consecutive night of protest outside parliament.
"At the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers, 35 countries said Irakli Kobakhidze’s statement not to pursue the opening of EU accession negotiations and to reject EU financial assistance until 2028 “appears to be in violation of the Georgian Constitution.”
The statement does not refer to Irakli Kobakhidze as “Prime Minister.”
In Tbilisi, Georgia, a delegation of MEPs, led by Lithuania's Rasa Jukneviciene, have been visiting today.
They met with opposition politicians, President Zourabichvilli, civil society organisations, and independent media journalists and reporters.
They have pointedly ignored the governing party and have now headed out to Rustavali Avenue to join the nightly protests.
Georgia is Europe, and Europe is Georgia.
"The United States strongly condemns the Georgian Dream party’s ongoing, brutal, and unjustified violence against Georgian citizens, including protesters, members of the media, human rights activists, and opposition figures.We are committed to seeing that senior officials responsible will be subject to visa restrictions.
We are preparing additional actions, including sanctions, to hold to account those who undermine democracy in Georgia."
Matthew Miller,
US State Dept.
In Tbilisi, Georgia, today there are at least 17 separate protest actions going on in multiple locations. The city is at a standstill already, and they all seem to be merging into one huge protest.
It's impossible to keep up with them all. I'm keeping an eye out for the d.j.s and the wine makers, and the place where those two meet.
This is Lithuanian MEP Rasa Jukneviciene outside parliament in Tbilisi, Georgia. She was one of a delegation of 7 MEPs who joined the protestors in Georgia last night on their 15th night of protests against the illegitimate government.
This act of solidarity meant the world to Georgians. Standing with Georgia. Literally.
🇬🇪❤️🇪🇺❤️🇬🇪
"This is not even funny anymore. The so-called “People’s Power Party" who officially left Georgian Dream Party (GD) after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine to “criticize the West more openly,” rejoined GD for the elections and ran on their list.
Now, they are declaring that they’re leaving GD once again to create a “healthy opposition.”
Mikheil Kavelashvili, GD's presidential candidate, is a member of “People’s Power.”
Anna Gvarishvili,
Georgian journalist.
Georgian Parliamentary Democracy, Georgian Dream style.
In a nutshell, because the opposition parties refuse to attend parliament after an illegitimate election, the ruling Georgian Dream party is splitting itself in half to create two parties so it looks like they have an opposition in parliament.
The punchline is that the new "People's Power" pretend opposition party is even more right wing and more pro-Russian than the government.
Everything's fine....
The Georgian Tech sector are marching in protest against the government for the second day in Tbilisi, Georgia, and their messaging is on point.
"Community marches are quickly becoming so widespread in Georgia that a Facebook cat lovers group also discusses organizing one. I swear to God.
I feel like it's a matter of principle that us dog lovers do something as well."
Marika Mikiashvili,
Georgia.
The breadth and depth of protests in Tbilisi and other towns and cities across Georgia today is truly astonishing.
It's impossible to mention all the different sectors, but even the local bakeries are joining in.
We Bake Freedom!
In Georgia, the government have tried to dismiss the massive protests happening everywhere for over 2 weeks now. They portrayed them as a few students and opposition party activists.
So, to prove them wrong, Georgia is seeing how many different sections of society can have separate protests today.
And it's getting super competitive. I think the construction workers waving flags on top of a massive crane are really going for the prize.
Georgia protests are also happening outside European Parliament in Brussels.
The sign says it all.
"Today, the Georgian civil society has become consolidated… The idea of a European Georgia has united the nation… And the national accord has been achieved.”
“This enormous protest is solely about achieving new elections, because there is no other peaceful way out… There is no peace without free and fair elections.”
“You cannot jail everyone.”
President Salome Zourabichvili,
Georgia.
"The Georgian Dream government has lost its mandate, and the people will not relent until it is removed. High-level resignations have escalated, including ambassadors and officials from the Ministry of the Interior. Fed up with government-induced violence and relentless disinformation, even top hosts from pro-government television channels are defecting. Swaths of Georgian companies are also openly condemning the government’s actions."
Will Cathcart.
https://thehill.com/opinion/international/5038098-georgia-protests-russia/
President of Georgia Salome Zourabichvili affirmed her commitment to staying in office during a press briefing, emphasizing the need for legitimate leadership in the country during this critical moment.
“I’m here, and I will remain here because this country urgently needs a legitimate institution. If anyone in this country truly wants peace, if anyone wants to emerge from this crisis victorious in any form, there is only one path forward—elections."
The EU is meeting on Monday to discuss sanctions against Georgia. It's expected that Hungary will veto any EU wide sanctions.
Behind the scenes, Germany, France and Poland and others are said to be getting ready to act in a 'coalition of the willing' to sanction Georgia as individual countries. It has to happen.
"We’ve got Georgia on our mind. But we’re not in good company. The protests rocking the small country of Georgia have lost their fragile grip on the Western news agenda, just as events have rocketed beyond the “protests” they were initially headlined as being."
https://bylinetimes.com/2024/12/13/georgia-violence-eu-foreign-media/
It's another big day in Georgia as protests are under way against the election of a new president.
When I say election, the illegitimate government have changed the rules so that the presidency is now decided by a committee of their own members.
The people refuse to recognize the new president. The current president, Salome Zourabichvilli, also refuses to recognize the new president. She is still the only legitimate leader of Georgia, and she's not going anywhere.
In Georgia, 'voting' is happening now in parliament for the new president.
Ex-footballer Mikheil Kavelashvili of the Georgian Dream party is the firm favourite to win. That's mostly because the opposition party won't be voting as they refuse to attend the illegitimate parliament. Also, Kavelashvili is the only candidate on the ballot.
When Georgians say their democracy has been hijacked, this is what they mean.
Tbilisi, Georgia is protesting again today.
Among many others there are separate protests by environmental campaigners, mothers, designers, mountain hikers and soccer players.
Every section of society in Georgia has protested against the government.
In Tbilisi, Georgia today, three things are happening.
Inside parliament, the illegitimate government are illegitimately voting for a new illegitimate president.
Outside parliament, they are getting ready for the lighting of the Christmas tree in a ceremony this evening which will attempt to convey how completely normal and well adjusted life in Georgia is right now.
Also, outside parliament, thousands of protestors will once again be protesting, against all of this.
In Tbilisi, Georgia, the illegitimate government are illegitimately voting for an illegitimate new president.
Meanwhile, outside, the current president Salome Zourabichvilli is walking around among the protestors to remind them that she is still the legitimate president, she is still with them, and is not going anywhere.
LisaH@ProjectFearlessness This is the United States in 4 years when Trump/Vance/Musk decides he's not leaving