TBILISI, November 20 – Anti-government demonstrators again gathered on Rustaveli Avenue Thursday night demanding snap parliamentary elections and the release of people detained during previous rallies.
Police deployed cordons around the legislature to prevent protesters from blocking the capital’s main traffic artery, a tactic that has led to repeated confrontations in recent months. With Rustaveli Avenue closed off, organizers announced they would once again shift to mobile marches through Tbilisi’s central streets. They did not disclose their planned route in advance.
Participants arrived carrying Georgian and EU flags, a visual marker of the protest movement’s persistent appeal to Europe as political tensions deepen between the Georgian government and Brussels.
Thursday’s gathering is part of a continual wave of evening assemblies that began more than a year ago, after the disputed 2024 parliamentary election. Protesters accuse the ruling Georgian Dream party of rigging the vote and reject the government’s criminal prosecutions of several rally participants. Officials deny political motives and insist the cases involve ordinary violations of the law.
The movement has evolved over the months, shifting from mass square gatherings to shorter rolling marches after police tightened sanctions for blocking streets. Demonstrators say the roaming format helps them avoid mass detentions while keeping pressure on authorities.
Despite the longevity of the campaign, turnout has fluctuated, with recent rallies significantly smaller than during last year’s peak. Protest leaders, however, claim public support remains high and insist they will maintain daily pressure until early elections are announced.
