The Georgian Parliament on Friday escalated its security to the highest red level, restricting access to all but essential personnel, following protests on Rustaveli Avenue over the government’s decision to delay EU membership negotiations and refuse EU budget grants until 2028.
The protests erupted on Thursday after Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze announced the decision.
By early morning on Friday, police dispersed the crowd using special equipment, including water cannons and pepper spray. Rustaveli Avenue was cleared, and traffic resumed.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs reported that demonstrators exceeded legal limits for protests, engaging in physical confrontations with law enforcement and throwing eggs, paint, and other objects.
The police responded by detaining participants and dispersing the crowd. Media representatives, including journalists, have reported being assaulted during the crackdown.
Parliamentary officials justified the “red security level” as a precaution to address unspecified threats.
This measure follows the temporary yellow security level imposed during the first session of the 11th Parliament on November 25, which had restricted media access.
The opposition has criticized the government’s EU decision, likening it to former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych’s 2013 refusal to sign an EU association agreement, a move that ignited Ukraine’s Revolution of Dignity.
