Protesters claim that the party rigged the Oct. 26 election, in which Georgian Dream won 54 percent of the vote, according to the country’s electoral commission.
“I am here because Georgian Dream stole our elections,” protester Tiko Lagvilava told Reuters. “The street and demonstrations are the only way … to show my voice.”
Georgian Dream and the electoral commission, for their part, insist that the election was fair and that the results reflect the popular will.
With chants of “Victory to Georgia,” thousands of protesters marched from the city’s main railway station to the parliament building in central Tbilisi.
Demonstrators dispersed at the end of the day without any incidents of violence being reported. Further protests, however, are widely expected in the coming days and weeks.
Three opposition parties have called on supporters to continue staging daily protests with a view to disrupting parliamentary activity, which is set to resume later this month.
Another demonstration on Oct. 28—two days after the parliamentary poll—saw similar numbers. That protest, too, ended without incident.
Both post-election demonstrations were attended by thousands of people. However, they were notably smaller than protests seen earlier this year, when Georgia adopted a law aimed at curbing perceived foreign influence, which critics say stifles free speech and expression.
Washington Weighs In
Brussels and Washington claim Georgia’s election was marred by irregularities—while providing little evidence to support the claim—and have called for investigations.After Georgia adopted the anti-foreign influence law in May, the EU and the United States imposed a raft of punitive measures on Georgian officials who they accused of engaging in “anti-democratic practices.”
The EU granted Georgia candidate status last year, but suspended the country’s accession process after Tbilisi adopted the anti-foreign influence law.
“We have made clear that we support their EU ambitions … [and] their further integration with their Euro and Atlantic partners,” Miller said.
He also noted the recent suspension of $95 million in scheduled U.S. assistance to Georgia “because of steps that we have seen them [the Georgian government] take.”
“We will continue to look at whether there are additional measures that would be appropriate,” Miller added. “And if so, we won’t hesitate to use them.”
Thunberg Makes Cameo
Demonstrators were joined by Sweden’s Greta Thunberg, a high-profile activist known for espousing left-wing causes, who made a surprise appearance in Tbilisi.“I am one of many tens of thousands of people who are standing up in the fight for democracy and freedom for the Georgian people,” she said in remarks to Reuters.
Thunberg attended the demonstration alongside local activists from Tbilisi Pride, a Georgian group that advocates for LGBT rights. In September, Georgia drew the ire of LGBT activists when it adopted a law on “family values and the protection of minors.”
The demonstrations in Tbilisi also garnered support from Maia Sandu, Moldova’s fiercely pro-Western leader, who just won a second presidential term.
