TBILISI — Georgian police used pepper spray and water cannons in clashes with protesters who attempted to storm the presidential palace in the capital, Tbilisi.
Thousands took to the streets following calls by opposition parties for large protests against the ruling Georgian Dream party as ballots were being cast for local elections on October 4.
Their aim was to revitalize daily demonstrations that began last year following alleged violations in parliamentary elections and a subsequent government decision to halt talks on joining the European Union.
Those protests have largely fizzled out in recent months.
Crowds started to gather shortly after voting began on October 4, with some organizers saying the aim was the “peaceful overthrow of the government.”
But around 7 p.m. local time, they began moving toward the presidential palace. As protesters tried to break through the palace fences, Georgia’s Interior Ministry declared that the rally had “exceeded the norms set by law.”
Police have responded by deploying water cannons and pepper spray. According to witnesses, they have also used tear gas to push back protesters.
Video coverage by RFE/RL’s Georgian Service showed both police officers and protesters were engaging in physical confrontations, with demonstrators throwing unidentified objects.
According to Georgia’s Interior Ministry, 14 of its officers were injured during the clashes. Videos and live feeds from the ground also showed injuries among protesters.
As some protesters erected barricades near the presidential palace, thousands of others also gathered on Tbilisi’s Rustaveli Avenue, a site that has seen countless Georgian protests.
Georgia’s former president, Salome Zurabishvili, who has previously led peaceful protests, accused the government of “staging” the attack on the presidential palace to discredit the opposition.
“As a legitimate president, I officially reject this and continue to stand with my people peacefully until we achieve new elections,” Zurabishvili added.
Ahead of the demonstration, authorities pledged a tough response to those it cast as seeking “revolution.”
Following later developments, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze said that “strict measures” would be implemented in the coming days.
Kobakhidze later said the attempt to “overthrow” the government had failed and that those who participated in it will be severely punished.
By the end of the day in Tbilisi, Georgia’s Interior Ministry said it had opened several criminal cases, including those related to calls for the violent change of the constitutional order and attempts to seize facilities of strategic significance.
Aleksandre Darakhvelidze, the deputy interior minister, said five leaders of the protest movement had been detained, including Paata Burchuladze.
“They are accused of violently changing the constitutional order of Georgia or calling for the overthrow of the state government, as well as organizing, leading, and participating in group violence. The crimes envisage up to 9 years in prison,” Darakhvelidze said.
As Georgia’s Central Election Commission said that Georgian Dream had won elections in every municipality, some organizers of the October 4 protests indicated that the demonstrations would continue in the coming days.
