Protests are gaining strength in Georgia, with thousands, unfazed by the use of force by riot police, gathering every night to occupy streets of central Tbilisi. Meanwhile, diplomats and public officials are starting to quit the increasingly forceful and internationally shunned government of oligarch Bidzina Ivanishvili. 

Sidewalk furnishings and flowerbeds are in disarray in downtown areas of the capital, and the parliament’s walls are charred with black graffiti after four nights of fierce clashes. Riot police have been attacking largely peaceful crowds in the capital city every night, severely beating protesters and reporters, and making scores of arrests. 

Protesters defend themselves by throwing firecrackers and brickbats at police, barricading the streets and engaging in physical confrontations. Both protesters and police have suffered injuries, and the strife threatens to widen and intensify. 

The protests erupted on November 28, after Ivanishvili’s government officially shelved plans for joining the European Union – a constitutionally mandated national goal that took decades of hard work to become a possibility. 

Prior to that, Ivanishvili’s Georgian Dream party indirectly sabotaged the nation’s bid for the EU membership by introducing repressive laws that targeted civil society, media and the LGBTQ+ community, rendering the country’s legislative framework incompatible with EU norms. Georgian Dream also drew European and American criticism for its conduct of the October 26 parliamentary election, which was marred by instances of fraud, bribery and coercion.   

After Georgian Dream announced the suspension of the European integration process, thousands poured to the streets, condemning Ivanishvili’s government for abandoning the much-cherished national objective of integration with Western institutions in order to prolong his 14-year-long rule, as well as to forge closer ties with Russia. In response, authorities unleashed a full range of crowd-control measures, marking an unprecedented uptick in the use of force against civilian demonstrators.

One shocking video captured two riot police officers kicking in the head unconscious 23-year-old student Zviad Maisashvili, while his brother is repeatedly punched and dragged away by other officers. Maisashvili is in hospital with concussion and broken nose, while his brother is in prison. 

Broken facial bones, along with the widespread use of water cannon and pepper spray, have not discouraged protesters. 

Opposition to Ivanishvili and his Georgian Dream party appears to be spreading through government structures. Dozens of ambassadors and diplomats have resigned in protest over the recent turn of events. Municipal officials, army officers and justice officials made collective statements critical of the volte-face in the EU integration policy. 

In a December 1 statement, Brussels deplored Georgian Dream’s decision and the continuing erosion of democratic values and practices. “We note that this announcement marks a shift from the policies of all previous Georgian governments and the European aspirations of the vast majority of the Georgian people,” said Kaja Kallas and Marta Kos, the EU’s chiefs for foreign relations and enlargement. 

Calling on Georgian authorities to respect Georgians’ right to assembly and expression, the EU officials expressed their concern over a former ally’s turn toward authoritarianism. “The EU reiterates serious concerns about the continuous democratic backsliding of the country, including the irregularities [,] which took place in the run-up and during the recent parliamentary elections,” the statement reads. 

The United States had an even sharper reaction, suspending its strategic partnership with Georgia, saying that the once staunch ally is reneging on its commitments to democracy-building and Western integration. “By suspending Georgia’s EU accession process, Georgian Dream has rejected the opportunity for closer ties with Europe and made Georgia more vulnerable to the Kremlin,” the State Department said in a statement. 

Condemning excessive use of force against demonstrators in Tbilisi, the State Department also said that “Georgian Dream’s various anti-democratic actions have violated the core tenets of our US-Georgia Strategic Partnership, which was based on shared values and commitments to democracy, rule of law, civil society, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, and anti-corruption efforts.” 

Georgia’s ambassador to the US, Davit Zalkaliani, resigned as relations between Tbilisi and Washington hit the lowest point in history. 

Ivanishvili, a billionaire, created Georgian Dream party and came to power in 2012, mainly on the promise to guide Georgia toward democracy and prosperity. Since then has been installing loyalists as prime ministers, top officials and high judges. 

Despite the initial progress in ties with the EU and US, Ivanishvili eventually began steering the country away from the West over ardent protests from much of the Georgian society. Critics say that he now sees a properly functioning democracy, which EU membership would entail, as a threat to his ability to maintain control over government policy. Others accuse him of secret collaboration with Moscow. Amid the tensions, Russia’s Vladimir Putin commended Georgian government for “bravery.”