Georgian Police Break Up Opposition Protest Camp in Tbilisi

(Bloomberg) - Police broke up an opposition camp in the center of Georgia's capital, Tbilisi, and began detaining protesters demanding new parliamentary elections.

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Following weeks of rallies over alleged fraud in last month's vote, protesters set up tents and barricades outside Tbilisi State University two days ago, blocking a main junction in the city. The election authorities finalized the vote in favor Georgian Dream on Saturday.

Police removed the camp on Tuesday and set up barriers to prevent a diminished number of demonstrators from returning to the area. Some 16 people were detained, the Interpressnews service said, citing a police statement. The opposition said several people were injured.

The US and the European Union have expressed concerns about the vote, in which the ruling party, Georgian Dream, claimed a majority to extend its 12-year rule. Viktor Orban, the prime minister of Hungary, which currently holds the bloc's rotating presidency, endorsed the victory. And while international observers said the election was marred by divisive rhetoric and reports of voter intimidation, they didn't challenge the overall result.

President Salome Zourabichvili, whose powers are largely ceremonial, has refused to accept the vote and led the call for new elections. Initially backed by the ruling party and its billionaire founder in 2018, she has since split with the government, criticizing increasingly conservative policies that she's said undermine the country's candidacy to join the EU. Born in France, Zourabichvili was ambassador to the Black Sea nation before accepting Georgian nationality two decades ago.

Four opposition parties that backed Zourabichvili's pro-European charter have threatened not to take up their mandates. Georgian Dream secured 89 of 150 seats in parliament and has pledged to convene the first session on Nov. 25.

Opposition leaders pledged the demonstrations will continue.

"The protests won't stop, day and night, they can't scare us," Helen Khoshtaria, a leader of the Droa party and a member of the opposition Coalition for Change. "We are constantly working on further plans."

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