Thousands of Georgians renewed pro-EU protests Tuesday, vowing to win a “game of nerves” with the government, which faces a legitimacy crisis and mounting international outcry over human rights violations.
The government’s decision in late November to postpone the opening of EU accession talks for years has sparked nearly three weeks of daily protests in the EU-candidate Black Sea nation.
The move came amid an unprecedented constitutional crisis that saw the country’s president declared newly elected parliament and the government “illegitimate” after the opposition accused the ruling Georgian Dream party of rigging October’s parliamentary polls.
On Tuesday protesters staged marches at a dozen locations across the capital Tbilisi before several thousand gathered outside parliament for 20th consecutive day.
Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze — who had threatened to “eradicate” opposition parties, calling them “liberal fascists” — downplayed the protests, saying an attempted revolution “has failed.”
His remarks angered many at Tuesday’s rally where demonstrators chanted slogans demanding the government’s resignation and fresh parliamentary polls.
“Kobakhidze is trying to lift spirits of his inner circle, portraying our protests as a failure,” said 18-year-old student Lali Korintheli, wrapped in an EU flag.
“If he wants to play a game of nerves with us, so be it,” she added. “We have been rallying day in and day out for twenty days, despite police brutality, and will not get tired because the fate of our country’s is being decided.”
“Let’s see who comes out on top,” agreed her friend Gigi Gardapkhadze, 19.
“The government has got a couple thousand rabid cops on their side, but what are they going to do against an entire nation?” he said, adding that “all of Georgia backs” protesters.
During the protests’ initial phase, riot police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse the crowds, with interior ministry reporting that more than 400 people had been arrested.
Georgia’s top human rights official, ombudsman Levan Ioseliani, and Amnesty International have accused police of “torturing” those detained.
The alleged police brutality has sparked mounting international condemnation as Washington and several European countries have imposed visa bans on Georgian Dream officials and warned of further personal sanctions.
