Fury in European country as protesters storm palace amid election tensions | World | News
Georgia’s Prime Minister Iraqi Kobakhidze announced a great pressure on the opposition after clashing with anti -government protesters trying to storm the presidential palace in the police capital Tbilisi. At least five people were arrested as the security forces used water balls and pepper spray to distribute demonstrators.
The former Soviet Republic is in the crisis because the pro -ruling Russian Georgian Dream Party claimed victory in last year’s elections and that the pro -EU opposition was stolen. This week, the country was faced with elections to appoint municipal councils and city mayors, but many opposition parties declared the beginning of the “liberation of the Georgian people from the Russian regime” on Saturday, October 4. In the end, the Georgian dream gained majority in every municipality and more than 80% of the votes. Now, Mr. Kobakhidze blamed the demonstrators aiming to overthrow the Presidential Palace government and accuse the EU for intervening in its country.
According to the Georgian News Agency, the Prime Minister said, “Nobody will escape responsibility. This includes political responsibility,” he said.
The officers detained at least five demonstrators, including two members of the United National Movement – the largest opposition party – and the opera singer, and read a statement calling the employees of the Ministry of Interior to obey the will of the people in the early hours of the day.
The government said that 21 police officers and six protesters were hospitalized by injuries. Accordingly BBCTens of thousands of protesters marched on Saturday in the center of Tbilisi, which was equipped with Georgian and EU flags. Hundreds of protesters were sentenced to a fine of 5,000 Georgians (£ 1,362) for thinking that the authorities were an illegal action.
The latest demonstration, in the last few months, after a pressure on activists, independent media and political opposition, most of the leaders of the pro -Western opposition are now behind bars.
The Georgian dream, known as Kotsbi, has become more and more Eurosceptious and accused of having an anti-Western and pro-Russian foreign policy by its opponents. It has also passed the legislation that contradicts the EU and NATO membership policies by the US and the EU. Last year, the United States approved its leading Georgian dream officials to “weaken democracy” and “to violate human rights and work for the benefit of the Russian Federation”.
At the beginning of this week, local resources claimed that they were ready to use all the means of violence at the authorities and they used Russian aid if necessary. According to Tengo Gogotishvili, a well -known Georgian journalist and blogger, the Russian special police unit “Akhmat” was expected to participate in the Mixed Fasting Arts (MMA) World Championships between the Elections in the “Tbilisi of the” athletes “from Dagestan and North Ossetia.
“Georgian athletes need to be beaten in the ring and pro -Western protesters should be beaten at a rally.”
