Mass protest hits Georgian capital after local elections: As it happened
Protests have erupted in the Georgian capital, Tbilisi, following the closure of polls in the country's local elections. Crowds have breached the grounds of the presidential palace, scuffling with police who have used pepper spray and deployed water cannons to repel them.
Early election result projections indicate the ruling Georgian Dream party has held a solid lead across the country, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has said.
The polls were partially boycotted by the opposition, which had earlier pledged to stage a “peaceful revolution,” though their supporters have massed on the capital's main street since the early afternoon.
The vote comes after almost a year of nonstop protests that erupted in response to Georgian Dream's decision to suspend the country's EU candidacy process for the next four years, after winning the last parliamentary election.
“The opening of negotiations is now being used as a tool to blackmail our country and divide our society, just as [EU] candidate status was previously used,” Kobakhidze has said.
The protesters completely blocked traffic on Melikishvili Avenue and unfurled banners with the slogan “When injustice becomes law, resistance becomes duty!” as well as Georgian national flags. They could also be heard chanting, “Georgia, Georgia!”
The protesters accuse the government, including Kobakhidze and Georgian Dream founder Bidzina Ivanishvili, of close ties to Russia. Georgian Dream, having secured a strong majority in last October’s parliamentary election, has repeatedly accused Western powers of meddling under the guise of promoting democracy.
Officials have said that tactics are being directed against Tbilisi that were used in the lead up to the 2014 Maidan coup in Ukraine, over a perceived refusal by the government to take a more aggressive stance towards Russia. Moscow, which has denied any involvement in Georgia’s internal affairs, has also drawn a parallel between the ongoing events and the 2014 Ukrainian coup in which far-right extremists murdered over 70 protesters and police officers.
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- 21:42 GMT
Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze reiterated his claim that the protests were “organized by foreign intelligence agencies” to overthrow the government.
He vowed an “uncompromising” stance against lawbreakers, stating that “anyone who participates in operations ordered by foreign special services will be given a just punishment,” according to First Channel.
- 19:14 GMT
People began gathering in the center of Tbilisi Saturday evening. Later, one of the organizers urged demonstrators to take the keys to the presidential residence into their own hands. They stormed the property and managed to break into the courtyard of the residence.
Shortly afterwards, security forces used a water cannon, followed by tear gas and the erection of barricades.
The active phase of the confrontation ended later in the night, but police presence in the area has continued.
- 18:33 GMT
Pro-Western Moldova President Maia Sandu has expressed concern over the Georgian elections.
My thoughts are with the people of Georgia, who stand for freedom and their European future. Democracy cannot be silenced. Moldova is by your side.
— Maia Sandu (@sandumaiamd) October 4, 2025The ruling came just two days after parliamentary elections in which the pro-European Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS), led by Sandu, narrowly secured a majority with 50.2% of the vote during last week's elections. The opposition Patriotic Electoral Bloc (BEP) trailed closely behind with 49.8%.
The election campaign was marked by pressure on opposition groups, according to observers and analysts.
- 18:18 GMT
The Georgian Interior Ministry has opened a criminal case under four articles of the criminal code in connection with the unrest in Tbilisi, the ministry said in a statement.
Furthermore, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has blamed the EU ambassador for the unrest, accusing him of supporting an attempt to overthrow the constitutional order.
- 18:05 GMT
“Foreign agents in Georgia will be completely neutralized following today’s riots. The protesters who attempted to storm the presidential palace committed a criminal offense,” — Georgian PM Irakli Kobakhidze.
- 18:02 GMT
Georgian PM Irakli Kobakhidze blamed the EU ambassador for the unrest in Tbilisi, accusing him of supporting an attempt to overthrow the constitutional order.
- 17:42 GMT
The situation at the presidential palace remains tense, according to the media. Special forces are using tear gas.
