In Georgia, on the night of today, November 30, the police again dispersed a pro-European protest. It lasted almost seven hours.
In the morning, security forces pushed demonstrators on Rustaveli Avenue in Tbilisi towards the Rustaveli metro station, encircling them. Mass arrests took place there, NewsGeorgia reports.
It was the second night of protests since the government announced a freeze in EU accession negotiations.
After yesterday the Prime Minister praised the security forces for dispersing the first protest, today the special forces acted even harsher, finishing off those lying down and even those who lost consciousness, the publication notes.
The media reported many casualties. The count probably goes into tens. Some protesters were seriously injured and had to be carried to ambulances on stretchers. Footage of the beating was recorded by cameras.
Demonstrators hid from police in the Kashveti Church, 24-hour pharmacies and supermarkets, and even in the Rustaveli Theater.
The Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs subsequently announced the detention of 107 people, and also stated that “as a result of the violent actions of the protesters, 10 employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs were injured.” The Ministry of Internal Affairs does not say how many protesters were injured during the dispersal.
The department’s statement emphasized that the action allegedly went beyond the boundaries of a peaceful assembly and acquired an illegal nature.
In just two days, about 150 protesters were detained in Tbilisi, and up to 10 more people in Batumi.
Practice shows that this is not a final figure: many may be detained or receive summonses a few days later, after the Ministry of Internal Affairs establishes their identities from photos and video frames, the publication notes.
It is also known that amid the suppression of protests, several journalists resigned from the government-loyal television company Rustavi 2. Mariam Menabde and Vano Gavasheli, as well as spouses Mariam Janelidze and Beka Paturashvili, left Rustavi 2.
We made this decision because of our views… based on current events in the country,” Janelidze said.
On this occasion, Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili wrote on her Facebook page:
The fortress is collapsing from the inside. Now it’s the Public Broadcaster’s turn.
Source: NewsGeorgia
Mass protests in Tbilisi were dispersed by security forces – there were casualties (VIDEO)
Source: Racurs
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.