Pro-European Union protesters and President Salome Zourabichvili formed a human chain in Georgia’s capital Tbilisi to mark one month of demonstrations demanding new parliamentary elections. The protests were sparked by the ruling Georgian Dream party taking 54% of the vote in October’s contested polls, with many claiming the election was stolen.
The rallies have seen hundreds of arrests and allegations of torture against protesters, with rights groups condemning the violent crackdown. Pro-EU demonstrators held hands across the city, forming a kilometres-long chain as they marched to their usual gathering spot outside parliament.
The protest leaders accuse the ruling party of undermining Georgia’s bid to join the EU and pulling the country back into Russia’s sphere of influence. The EU ascension is enshrined in Georgia’s constitution and supported by 80% of the population, but has been hindered by the government’s actions.
President Zourabishvili was among those taking part in the human chain, as were several other pro-Western opposition figures. The US has imposed sanctions on Georgian Dream’s founder Bidzina Ivanishvili and other officials, citing his alleged attempts to undermine Georgia’s democratic future for Russia’s benefit.
The EU had initially planned to impose sanctions but was blocked by Hungary and Slovakia. Despite this, the US action marks a significant development in the ongoing conflict between pro-EU and pro-Russia forces in Georgia.
Source: https://www.dw.com/en/georgia-pro-eu-protesters-president-form-human-chain/a-71177123