2024 Georgian post-election protests

2024 Georgian post-election protests
Protests following 2024 parliamentary election
Date	28 October 2024 – present (1 month, 3 weeks and 4 days)
Location	Georgia (Tbilisi, Kutaisi, Batumi, Zugdidi and other cities) Diaspora: Various cities in European Union and United States.
Caused by	Alleged electoral fraud and public distrust in the electoral system Announcement of Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze to postpone Georgia's integration into the European Union until 2028 Later: Disputed election of Mikheil Kavelashvili as President of Georgia
Goals	Annulling the disputed parliamentary and presidential election results New parliamentary and presidential elections with a neutral election administration and guarantees of politically neutral law enforcement Immediate release of all detainees and political prisoners from the rallies, along with the dismissal of all charges against them[1]
Methods	Demonstrations, sit-ins, student protest, civil disobedience, online activism, traffic obstruction, use of pyrotechnics[2]
Status	Ongoing
Parties
Opposition Coalition for Change Unity – National Movement Strong Georgia For Georgia Various groups of students and civil activists Supported by: President of Georgia Kobakhidze government Ministry of Internal Affairs Police of Georgia Special Tasks Department[3] State Security Service Parliamentary majority Georgian Dream People's Power
Lead figures
Salome Zourabichvili[4] Giorgi Margvelashvili (Strong Georgia; 4th president from 2013 to 2018) Nika Gvaramia (Ahali) Nika Melia (Ahali) Zurab Japaridze (Girchi-MF) Elene Khoshtaria (Droa) Tinatin Bokuchava (UNM) Giorgi Vashadze (Strategy) Mamuka Khazaradze (Lelo) Badri Japaridze (Lelo) Aleko Elisashvili (Citizens) Levan Tsutskiridze (Freedom Square) Anna Dolidze (For the People) Giorgi Gakharia (For Georgia) Irakli Kobakhidze Thea Tsulukiani Levan Davitashvili Irakli Garibashvili Shalva Papuashvili Vakhtang Gomelauri Grigol Liluashvili Mikheil Kavelashvili Bidzina Ivanishvili Sozar Subari Mamuka Mdinaradze Giorgi Volski Zviad "Khareba" Kharazishvili [ru]
Number
Protesters: around 200,000 (peak)[5] Law enforcement officers: unclear
Casualties
Injuries	400+ detained protesters reported injuries from police violence (28 November – 7 December)[6] 70+ journalists (28 November – 10 December)[7]
Arrested	500 protestors (28 November – 5 December)[8]

On 28 October 2024, protests began in Georgia after the preliminary official results were announced of the parliamentary election of 26 October. The ruling Georgian Dream won the majority of seats in parliament according to those results. The demonstrators claimed that the elections were fraudulent, and demanded a recount and a new election.

A string of protests and legal challenges against the election outcome took place in the following months and saw an escalation when the government announced on 28 November that it would postpone the European Union accession process until the end of 2028. This decision occurred against the background of Georgians' high levels of trust in the EU.^[9]

Police and government-affiliated violent groups engaged in widespread violence and torture against protesters and journalists.^{[10][11][12][13]} Evidence circulated on social media indicating violence by Titushky.^[14] The Public Defender of Georgia found that the type and severity of injuries intentionally inflicted on protesters "constitutes an act of torture".^[15]