Tens of thousands of Georgians demonstrated Thursday evening in the capital, Tbilisi, after two days of protests and clashes with the police, to denounce a draft law, despite the government’s reversal of it.
President Salome Zurabishvili, who is pro-Western and opposed to her country’s government, hailed the “victory” of the demonstrators. “I want to congratulate the community on its first victory,” the president, who has limited powers, said in a televised address from New York. “I am proud of the people who made their voice heard.”
Meanwhile, the Interior Ministry announced the “release” of demonstrators arrested since Tuesday, in response to one of the opposition’s demands. “Investigations are underway to identify and arrest those who attacked the police,” the ministry said in a statement.
Among the crowd in central Tbilisi, many waved the flags of Georgia, Ukraine and the European Union. The European Union’s anthem was also heard.
Many of the protesters who gathered Thursday in central Tbilisi condemned the government’s policy.
The demonstrations came at the invitation of several opposition parties, despite the ruling “Georgian Dream” party announcing earlier Thursday the withdrawal of a draft law that its critics considered repressive.
It is scheduled to hold a meeting of the Georgian opposition at noon on Friday, in conjunction with the formal withdrawal of Parliament for the draft law.