Police clash with protesters in Georgia after PM delays EU bid

Georgian riot police have deployed tear gas and water cannons against demonstrators protesting a government decision to delay pursuing European Union accession, the AFP reports.

Thousands rallied in the capital, Tbilisi, and cities across Georgia on Friday after Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze announced the decision amid a post-election crisis that saw the country's president challenge the legitimacy of the newly elected parliament and government.

Waving EU and Georgian flags, large crowds rallied outside parliament, blocking traffic on the Georgian capital's main road in the latest of a series of protests in the country.

Shortly after midnight, Georgian police deployed tear gas and water cannons against the demonstrators.

Demonstrators erected barricades and set them on fire while local media reported several protesters and journalists were arrested.

"I stand with the Georgian media, who are disproportionately targeted and attacked while doing their job and reporting continuously," pro-Western President Salome Zurabishvili said on social media.

The prime minister's announcement came hours after the European Parliament adopted a non-binding resolution rejecting the results of Georgia's October 26 parliamentary elections, alleging "significant irregularities".

The resolution called for new elections within a year under international supervision and for sanctions to be imposed on top Georgian officials, including Kobakhidze.

Accusing the European Parliament and "some European politicians" of "blackmail," Kobakhidze said: "We have decided not to bring up the issue of joining the European Union on the agenda until the end of 2028."

But he pledged to continue implementing reforms, asserting that "by 2028, Georgia will be more prepared than any other candidate country to open accession talks with Brussels and become a member state in 2030".

Confrontation

Following Kobakhidze's statement, street protests erupted in Tbilisi and several other cities.

The Interior Ministry said "protesters physically confronted police" in Tbilisi, "resulting in injuries to three officers, two of whom have been hospitalised."

"To de-escalate the situation, the police have employed measures permitted by law, including the use of special means," it said.

Zurabishvili held an "emergency meeting" with foreign diplomats, her office said.

"Today marks a significant point, or rather, the conclusion of the constitutional coup that has been unfolding for several weeks," she told a news conference alongside opposition leaders.

"Today, this non-existent and illegitimate government declared war on its own people," she claimed, calling herself the country's "sole legitimate representative."