Police arrest demonstrators demanding new elections in central Tbilisi

Police in Tbilisi on Tuesday arrested participants of a protest demanding new general elections on Melikishvili Avenue, although the exact number of detainees remains unclear.

Preliminary reports suggest that the arrests were made on grounds of alleged administrative violations, including hooliganism and failure to comply with lawful police orders.

Two protesters required emergency medical assistance during the action, which followed days of demonstrations contesting the legitimacy of Georgia’s October 26 parliamentary elections and calling for a re-run.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs released a statement, emphasizing that while freedom of assembly and expression is guaranteed under Georgian law, these rights must be balanced against public safety, the functioning of transport, and the rights of others.

The Ministry claimed the demonstrators had blocked key transport routes near Chavchavadze Avenue and Varaziskhevi, using construction materials to obstruct traffic. After what authorities described as “sufficient time” for protesters to express their views, police cleared the area near Tbilisi State University on Tuesday morning of where tents had been set up since November 17.

The Ministry reiterated its call for protest organizers and participants to comply with legal norms and refrain from disrupting public order, adding that legal measures would be applied to restore normalcy if the roadway remained blocked.