Dozens Hospitalized After Four Nights Of Large Pro-EU Georgia Protests

Unprecedented protests have swept the Republic of Georgia, with Sunday continuing to witness huge crowd sizes in the capital of Tbilisi for a fourth consecutive evening.

The catalyst for the large and at time violent demonstrations was the ruling Georgian Dream party's recent announcement that it is suspending EU talks for four years.

Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze on Thursday accused the European Parliament and "some European politicians" of "blackmail" for its rejection of the results of October's Georgian parliamentary elections. Europe has accused Georgian election authorities of "significant irregularities" after the Georgian Dream party emerged victorious.

Kobakhidze said, "We have decided not to bring up the issue of joining the European Union on the agenda until the end of 2028."

Each night since, large groups of pro-EU demonstrators have faced off against riot police armed with teargas and water cannon.

Prime Minister Kobakhidze has in a new message warned that "Any violation of the law will be met with the full rigor of the law. Neither will those politicians who hide in their offices and sacrifice members of their violent groups to severe punishment escape responsibility."

He confirmed that he has halted progress toward European integration, saying "The only thing we have rejected is the shameful and offensive blackmail, which was in fact a significant obstacle to our country’s European integration."

The Guardian has detailed that dozens have been injured and hospitalized in clashes with police:

Georgian media reported protests in at least eight cities and towns. The opposition TV channel Formula showed footage of people in Khashuri, a town of 20,000 in central Georgia, throwing eggs at the local Georgian Dream office and tearing down the party’s flag.

The interior minister said on Sunday that 44 people had been taken to hospital after Saturday’s protests, including 27 protesters, 16 police officers and one media worker.

An effigy of the founder of Georgian Dream, Bidzina Ivanishvili, a shadowy billionaire who made his fortune in Russia, was burned in front of the legislature.

Pro-EU opposition leaders have meanwhile claimed that this is all a mess of Georgian Dream party's own making, with supposed Kremlin influence. Pro-EU President Salome Zurabichvili said the ruling party "declared not peace, but war against its own people, its past and future."

The opposition has claimed since the Oct.26 parliamentary elections that there was Russian 'interference' and that the vote was rigged. They further claim pro-Russian oligarchs have taken control of the country.