Up to 20,000 people filled the streets of Tbilisi, Georgia, last night to protest against what they described as sham local elections, nearly a year after the pro-Russian Georgian Dream rigged parliamentary elections to stay in power. Yesterday’s demonstration was one of the largest the country has seen since last year.
Protestors opposed the sham elections by the illegitimate government which received a very low turn-out across the country. Official records published by the Central Electoral Commission state a 33.5% turnout. Most of the Opposition boycotted the elections.
Since last year’s parliamentary elections, the Georgian Dream ruling-party exerted repression against the multi-party opposition to keep power including by imprisoning dissidents, crushing the student movement and outlawing political parties.
Protestors, who are largely pro-EU membership, burnt Russian flags and called for the UK and EU authorities to sanction Bidzina Ivanishvili, the country’s main oligarch who founded and backs the Georgian Dream ruling-party. Riot police was also present to disrupt the protests.
Newsroom
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