Police may disperse UNM rally if demonstrators block central roads

Riot police, law enforcement and water cannons have been brought in central Tbilisi as the Unite National Movement (UNM) opposition party has plans to block roads on both banks of the River Mtkvari today. 

The UNM demonstrators are marching to the scene, to Baratashvili bridge in central Tbilisi, where the police and their vehicles are present. 

The Ministry of Internal Affairs have warned the demonstrators that blocking the road and causing collapse in the traffic movement is punishable by the law. 

The ministry said that they will use the ‘proportional force’ to prevent the UNM demonstrators from blocking the roads.

The UNM is demanding the transfer of the former president to a civil clinic, his eventual release from prison and annulment of the recent municipal election results. 

Saakashvili, who was arrested in Tbilisi on October 1, a day before Georgian municipal elections, has been on hunger strike for 46 days.

He says he will stop the hunger strike if he is brought to a civil clinic. 

The GD officials claim that the UNM and Saakashvili have plans to cause unrest if Saakashvili is taken to a private clinic from Gldani prison hospital. 

The UNM promises that they will never hold rallies at the clinic where Saakashvili will be brought.  

The third president was convicted in Georgia back in 2018 for abuse of power in absentia and was sentenced to six years in prison.  

Saakashvili also faces five charges related to embezzlement, illegal takeover of property and others.