Thousands rally in Georgia against shelving of EU accession talks

The protests come amid a post-election crisis, with the country's pro-Western opposition and the president rejecting the ruling Georgian Dream party's claimed victory in the October 26 parliamentary polls.

Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze's recent announcement that EU-candidate Tbilisi will not seek the opening of accession talks has sparked a fresh wave of protests. The decision has been met with a tough police response, as riot police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse the largely peaceful rallies.

Kobakhidze has labeled the protesters as opposition-controlled "violent groups," claiming their attempted revolution "has failed" and threatening to punish "liberal fascists," using language reminiscent of Kremlin rhetoric against political opponents.

Since November 28, the interior ministry reported that 402 protesters have been arrested, including "more than 30 on criminal charges" and the remainder for administrative offenses. Despite the heavy-handed police response, the protests have shown no signs of abating, although turnout has slightly decreased towards the end of the week.

The ongoing protests highlight the deep political divisions in Georgia and the strong desire among many citizens for closer ties with the European Union. (ILKHA)