In Georgia, demonstrators opposing the cessation of European integration were blocked by the highway, the police use force

In Tbilisi there were clashes between the police and demonstrators who are trying to block an important highway connecting the capital to the western regions of Georgia, reports Paper Kartuli. The protest, which took place at the Tbilisi Mall shopping center, has become part of the lasting for the suspension of the country's European integration process for more than two months.

The situation was aggravated after the Georgian authorities on January 31 introduced roads to the list of strategic objects, for the blocking of which the punishment is provided for up to two years in prison. This decision was made immediately after the protesters announced plans to block the route.

During the police operation to unlock the road, prominent opposition figures were detained-ex-mayor of Tbilisi Gigi Ugolav and one of the leaders of the Coalition for Changes. The security forces managed to free one lane, but on the exit from the city there are still followed by congestion.

During the clashes, an employee of the TV channel TV Pirveli, the operator Niko Kokai, suffered. The protests, which began on November 28, 2024, continue the 66th day.

On January 29, the Georgian authorities decided to withdraw from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) in response to the adoption of a resolution, which calls for the ruling party "Georgian Dream" to hold new elections in the country and release political prisoners.