Thousands of demonstrators went to rallies in Georgia to protest against the Georgian government's decision to freeze EU accession negotiations until the end of 2028, DPA reported, quoted by BTA.
In Tbilisi, several thousand people gathered in front of the parliament and stayed there until late at night. Government buildings were cordoned off by armed police.
Rallies with hundreds of participants this evening were also held in the large Georgian cities of Batumi, Kutaisi, Gori and Zugdidi.
Pro-European President Salome Zurabishvili, who joined the protest in the Georgian capital, called on law enforcement not to take action against the demonstrators. Zurabishvili also called for a repeat of the parliamentary elections after the October vote was marred by allegations of fraud.
According to the official results, the election was won by the nationalist party "Georgian Dream". with nearly 54% of the votes.
Earlier on Thursday, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze said Tbilisi would not negotiate with Brussels on joining the European Union before the end of 2028. and will not accept any budget subsidies from the EU.
Kobakhidze described Brussels' demands for negotiations as a form of blackmail and pointed out that integration is a bilateral process.
Georgia, along with Ukraine and Moldova, was granted EU candidate status in December 2023, but its relations with the bloc have deteriorated significantly in recent months and Brussels has delayed rapprochement due to several repressive laws the ruling party pushed through this year. As the opposition seeks to maintain ties with Europe, the Georgian government passed a law to restrict civil society NGOs. There are similar laws in Russia, DPA notes.
The opposition continues to follow a pro-European line, accusing the government of securing its electoral victory through manipulations.