Police fire water cannon at Georgia protesters near presidential palace

Opposition protests turned convulsive arsenic riot constabulary deployed teardrop state and h2o cannon adjacent the statesmanlike palace.

Georgian riot constabulary person deployed h2o cannon, capsicum spray and teardrop state to disperse protesters who tried to tempest the statesmanlike palace successful Tbilisi during municipal elections.

The clashes took spot connected Saturday aft absorption groups, who had boycotted the vote, called for a “peaceful revolution” against the governing Georgian Dream (GD) party, accusing it of authoritarianism and adopting pro-Russia policies.

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Thousands of radical gathered successful Freedom Square and Rustaveli Avenue waving Georgian and EU flags successful what organisers said was a amusement of defiance against GD. Some aboriginal barricaded adjacent streets, lit fires and clashed with riot police.

In the evening, a radical of demonstrators moved towards the palace and attempted to interruption done the fence, according to witnesses.

Protesters effort to interruption into the statesmanlike palace grounds during an absorption rally connected the time of section elections successful Tbilisi, Georgia, October 4, 2025 [Irakli Gedenidze/Reuters]

The Ministry of Internal Affairs aboriginal declared the rally unlawful, saying it had “exceeded the norms acceptable by law.” Police past pushed protesters backmost with force.

“Today is the result of a heavy situation which is perfectly formed by our pro-Russian and authoritarian government,” protester Davit Mzhavanadze told section media, according to a study carried by Reuters. “I deliberation this protestation volition proceed until these demands volition beryllium responded to decently from our government.”

The governing GD, which announced it had won power successful each municipality crossed the state of 3.7 million, rejected accusations of vote-rigging. The party, founded by billionaire and erstwhile Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili, denies being pro-Moscow. It says it seeks EU rank portion maintaining stableness with Russia.

Georgia, erstwhile seen arsenic 1 of the astir pro-Western states to look aft the Soviet Union’s collapse, has seen its ties with Europe and the United States deteriorate since Russia’s penetration of Ukraine. The authorities froze accession talks with the European Union pursuing past year’s disputed parliamentary election, sparking months of demonstrations.

Saturday’s confrontation was the astir superior flare-up successful months aft earlier protests had mislaid momentum. Authorities had warned successful beforehand that they would respond firmly to immoderate effort astatine what they described arsenic a propulsion for “revolution”.