Tbilisi was on edge as protesters were expected to gather in the Georgian capital on September 9, a day after supporters of the ruling party, Georgian Dream, attacked protesters participating in ongoing demonstrations over a government decision to halt European Union membership talks.
Georgian Dream supporters pelted the demonstrators with bottles and rocks on September 8 as the group stood in front of the reelection headquarters of Mayor Kakha Kaladze during what has become a daily protest against a November 2024 decision by the government, which is dominated by Georgian Dream, to stop EU accession talks.
Police separated the two groups, but further attacks -- including some on journalists -- continued. No arrests were made, according to police. Activists said some 10 people had been injured, some of whom required hospital treatment.
"Law enforcement officers at the scene took appropriate measures to defuse the situation and prevent further escalation of the conflict," the Interior Ministry said in a statement, adding an investigation into what transpired has been launched.
Demonstrators, however, have complained that police failed to take action during attacks started by party supporters.
"What did the participants of the protest yesterday do that endangered the work of the headquarters?" wrote former Deputy Ombudsman Giorgi Burjanadze.
"People were organizing the protest and were attacked. It is shameful and shameful to write about this. Did any employee document the disruption of the headquarters' activities?" he added.
Georgia has been thrown into turmoil since parliamentary elections in October 2024 in which Georgian Dream secured 54 percent of the vote. The opposition and Western governments argued that the poll was marred by violations and Russian influence.
Tensions Rise As Elections Near
Tensions have risen further between Georgian Dream supporters and opponents of the government with October 4 local elections nearing.
Last week, one of the leaders of the party's youth wing was filmed spitting in the faces of several activists and a journalist, while a verbal altercation took place between a former Georgian Dream MP and protesters.
Protests launched since the decision on EU membership have been met with accusations of police using excessive force and even torture.
Despite the continued protests, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has refused to back down and has threatened to punish political opponents, whom he accuses of being behind violence that has occurred at the protests.
A majority of Georgians support EU membership, and efforts to join the bloc are mandated by the Georgian Constitution.
Georgia received EU candidate status in December 2023 but relations with Brussels have soured in recent months, beginning with the adoption of a Russian-style "foreign agent" law, which critics say threatens media outlets and civil society groups.
