Violent clashes break out in Tbilisi after Georgian prime minister suspends E.U. membership talks

On November 28, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze announced that the country would suspend EU accession talks until the end of 2028. In response, thousands gathered outside the parliament building in Tbilisi to protest, including President Salome Zurabishvili. A vocal opponent of the ruling Georgian Dream party and a supporter of EU membership, Zurabishvili accused the “illegitimate government” of “declaring war on its people.”

As protesters erected barricades, clashes broke out with police, who used water cannons and tear gas to disperse the crowd. According to Paper Kartuli, officers sprayed protest leader Elene Khoshtaria in the eyes with tear gas, broke the nose of civil servant Nana Malashkhia, and assaulted journalist Aleksandre Keshelashvili. The Georgian Interior Ministry reported the arrests of 43 individuals and said that 32 police officers were injured during the protests. Meduza shares photos from the night.