TBILISI, October 30 – Police in Tbilisi detained several protesters Thursday night after demonstrators blocked traffic on Rustaveli Avenue during ongoing anti-government rallies demanding new elections.
The protest began around 8pm, when demonstrators gathered in front of the parliament building where a protest camp has been standing for months. After rallying on the sidewalk, some protesters moved onto the road, stopping traffic for a few minutes.
Police used loudspeakers to call on participants to clear the roadway and return to the sidewalk. When the protesters refused, chanting and whistling in defiance, officers moved in to restore traffic flow. Within minutes, the road was reopened, and police led demonstrators back onto the sidewalk.
Soon afterward, at least four people were detained, according to rally organizers. Police confirmed one arrest on Chichinadze Street, identifying the detainee as activist Tornike Tikaradze. He was reportedly taken into custody for blocking the street. Later video footage circulating online appeared to show another activist being detained. The Interior Ministry has not yet released an official statement on the total number of arrests.
Several participants, including opposition politician Gedevan Popkhadze, have been on hunger strike inside the protest camp. They are calling for the release of activists sentenced under the country’s fast-track administrative system, a Soviet-era practice that allows for short-term imprisonment following swift trials that lack the normal judicial safeguards. Critics argue that these measures have been used to silence dissent.
