Police clear protesters from central avenue as demonstrations continue in Tbilisi

The Georgian police on Monday forcibly removed demonstrators from Rustaveli Avenue after they blocked the central thoroughfare in protest against recent arrests during earlier rallies, sparked by the Georgian government’s decision late last year to delay the country’s EU integration until 2028.

The individuals have been reportedly detained following the police intervention, which began shortly after 2 p.m. The demonstrators had been protesting since midday in response to the detention of two activists on Easter Sunday, also on Rustaveli Avenue.

At approximately 13:40, the protest group moved onto the roadway in front of the parliament building. Within half an hour, police officers arrived and issued verbal warnings for the crowd to disperse. Minutes later, at 14:14, officers began physically removing demonstrators from the area.

A police cordon was subsequently established along the sidewalk near the protest site. One of those detained has been identified as Dato Gunashvili, a former head of the Human Resources Management Department at the Ministry of Defence. Authorities have not yet officially confirmed the number or identities of those arrested. The Chants of “Fight to the end,” “Freedom to the prisoners of the regime” were heard during the protest, which aimed to show solidarity with Mikheil Samkharadze and Giorgi Ortoidze – two activists who were administratively detained during a demonstration on Easter Sunday. Both remain in custody.