Thousands protest in Tbilisi as Georgia suspends EU membership talks

[LAUREN TAYLOR]

POLICE CLASHED WITH PROTESTERS IN THE GEORGIAN CAPITAL AFTER THE COUNTRY’S RULING PARTY ANNOUNCED IT IS HALTING TALKS ON JOINING THE EUROPEAN UNION UNTIL 2028.

NEARLY 50 PROTESTERS WERE REPORTEDLY ARRESTED AND THREE POLICE OFFICERS INJURED.

POLICE IN RIOT GEAR FIRED A WATER CANNON AND LAUNCHED TEARGAS AS PROTESTERS TRIED TO FORCE THEIR WAY INTO PARLIAMENT. 

AS THOUSANDS OF PRO-E-U ACTIVISTS BLOCKED THE STREETS… THE COUNTRY’S OUTGOING PRO-E-U PRESIDENT ACCUSED THE GOVERNMENT OF “DECLARING WAR” ON ITS OWN PEOPLE AND QUESTIONED WHETHER THE POLICE WERE LOYAL TO GEORGIA OR RUSSIA.

THE GOVERNMENT’S DECISION CAME AFTER THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT REJECTED THE RESULTS OF GEORGIA’S PARLIAMENTARY ELECTION LAST MONTH… AND PASSED A RESOLUTION CALLING FOR NEW ELECTIONS UNDER INTERNATIONAL SUPERVISION.

MANY GEORGIANS CALLED THE RESULTS OF THE ELECTIONS FRAUDULENT AND A GLOBAL RESEARCH AND DATA FIRM DECLARED THE RESULTS “STATISTICALLY IMPOSSIBLE.”

OFFICIAL RESULTS GAVE GEORGIA’S RULING PARTY NEARLY 54 PERCENT OF THE VOTE AND THE OPPOSITION PARTY REFUSED TO TAKE THEIR SEATS DUE TO CONCERNS OVER ELECTION INTEGRITY.

GEORGIA’S RELATIONSHIP WITH THE E-U HAS BECOME TENSE AS BRUSSELS ACCUSES THE GOVERNMENT OF TAKING PRO-RUSSIAN STANCES, WHICH GEORGIA’S RULING PART DENIES.

RULING PARTY OFFICIALS ACCUSED THE E-U OF USING ACCESSION TALKS TO SPUR A “REVOLUTION IN THE COUNTRY”

CITING THIS AS THE REASON GEORGIA HAS DECIDED TO END TALKS ABOUT E-U MEMBERSHIP UNTIL 2028.

POLLS SHOW AROUND 80 PERCENT OF GEORGIANS WANT THE COUNTRY TO JOIN THE E-U.

CRITICS ACCUSE GEORGIA’S RULING PARTY OF STEERING THE COUNTRY BACK TOWARDS MOSCOW WITH RECENTLY PASSED LAWS.

INCLUDING ONE REQUIRING ANY NON-COMMERCIAL PERSON OR ORGANIZATION RECEIVING MORE THAN 20 PERCENT FUNDING FROM A “FOREIGN POWER” REGISTER AS A FOREIGN AGENT OR FACE SIGNIFICANT FINES.

RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN PRAISED THE EFFORT.

THE E-U GAVE GEORGIA CANDIDATE STATUS IN 2023 BUT NOTED A NUMBER OF “RUSSIAN-INSPIRED” LAWS PASSED INCLUDING THE FOREIGN AGENTS’ LEGISLATION WERE OBSTACLES TO MEMBERSHIP.

GEORGIA GAINED INDEPENDENCE FROM RUSSIA IN 1991 AND HAS NO FORMAL DIPLOMATIC RELATIONSHIP WITH RUSSIA SINCE A WAR WITH MOSCOW IN 2008.

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FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS– I’M LAUREN TAYLOR.