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Tensions Escalate In Georgia As Anti-Government Protests Lead To Arrests, Clashes

Police arrested opposition leaders and protesters during a rally against Georgia’s ruling party, reigniting tensions over disputed election results and EU accession talks. The protests saw violent clashes.

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Tensions Escalate In Georgia As Anti-Government Protests Lead To Arrests, Clashes

Police in Georgia detained several anti-government protesters on Sunday after a massive rally calling for fresh parliamentary elections briefly shut a major highway leading out of the capital city Tbilisi. Among the detained were senior opposition leaders, such as Nika Melia, head of the Coalition for Change, and ex-Tbilisi Mayor Giorgi Ugulava.

Protests, which began in November, escalated Sunday as thousands rallied near a shopping center on the northern edge of Tbilisi. Demonstrators have been calling for fresh parliamentary elections following a disputed vote in October, which opposition parties claim was rigged. The ruling Georgian Dream party maintains that the election was free and fair.

The protests had been subsiding in recent weeks but were revived when protesters blocked the road leaving the capital. The Interior Ministry had warned demonstrators earlier in the day that blocking the motorway was a criminal offense. It continued with its rally, which clashed with the police.

Three arrests happened, including the leading opposition figures. Videos on social media that cannot be verified show policemen in balaclavas beating protesters in the streets and taking injured protesters away in ambulances. One protester is seen lying unconscious by the side of the road, but there is no word on their status.

Since the government announced in November that it would suspend European Union accession talks until 2028, Georgia’s public has been in uproar. That decision put a halt to a long-standing Georgian ambition, to join the EU. The political climate remains tense, with no immediate resolution in sight.