The main Georgian opposition party, the United National Movement (UNM), recently organized a demonstration against the country’s current government in the capital of Tbilisi. The opposition party fears the government is derailing the path toward EU membership by failing to implement certain reforms and by cultivating excessive proximity to the Russian government.
The protest included EU flags and chants in support of the UNM’s founder, former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili, who is currently imprisoned for abuse of power.
Demands included the liberation of political prisoners, with the UMN claiming that the ruling Dream Party is corrupting the judiciary to clamp down on legitimate dissent. This comes on the heels of months of similar protests, sparked by concern over the government’s attempt to pass a bill targeting foreign agents, which is seen as a way to erode political freedoms.
For its part, the Georgian government maintains that it remains committed to joining the EU.
