Thousands Protest in Tbilisi Over October 4-Linked Detentions

Thousands of people gathered in the Georgian capital on Sunday evening, chanting "You can't cage Georgia," calling for new elections and the release of dozens of detainees following the violence on October 4, The Caspian Post reports citing foreign media.

The rally began in Vake Park and moved toward the parliament building on Rustaveli Avenue, where protesters blocked traffic and waved the flags of Georgia, the EU and the United States. Many wore striped shirts to symbolize solidarity with those in detention. “We will come out, and you will sit,” read one banner, while others declared, “You can’t scare us” and “We are Georgia.”

Organizers described the protest as a “performance” meant to symbolize how the government has “wrapped the country in barbed wire” and likened the ruling Georgian Dream party to a Russian-style regime. During the rally, excerpts from letters written by detainees were read aloud, followed by the Georgian national anthem.

The demonstration came at the end of a week marked by dozens of new arrests and a series of tense court hearings. At least 46 people have been charged over the October 4 events outside the president’s residence, where some protesters attempted to breach a fence and enter the compound.