TBILISI, Georgia
Pro-European Union protests in Georgia, which have been ongoing for more than a month in opposition to the suspension of EU accession negotiations, continued into New Year’s Eve in the capital, Tbilisi.
The demonstrations began on Nov. 28 in response to Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze’s decision to suspend Georgia’s EU accession talks for four years over what he described as “blackmail and manipulation” by some of the bloc’s politicians.
The protests, which began following parliamentary elections on Oct. 26 and escalated due to the government’s stance on EU integration, persisted in Tbilisi despite the New Year holiday.
Thousands of demonstrators gathered in front of the parliament building on New Year’s Eve, bringing homemade festive dishes to share. They set up tables along Shota Rustaveli Avenue and offered food to tourists visiting the capital.
The crowd welcomed 2025 with firework displays while chanting slogans calling on the government to hold new parliamentary elections.
Waving flags of the EU, Georgia and other countries, the demonstrators remained in the area for hours, celebrating the New Year together.
Kobakhidze’s government has accused Western-backed forces including supporters of former pro-Western President Salome Zourabichvili and opposition groups of attempting to overthrow the government through “street demonstrations.”
The US and several European countries have imposed sanctions on Georgian government officials.
