2019 protests in Georgia (country)

The protests began on 20 June 2019 in front of the Parliament of Georgia and were launched after Sergei Gavrilov, a Communist Party member of the Russian Duma who was visiting through the Interparliamentary Assembly on Orthodoxy, sat in a chair reserved by protocol for the Head of Parliament.[1] He delivered a speech in Russian extolling the Orthodox brotherhood of Georgia and Russia. Earlier in his career, Gavrilov had voted in favor of the independence of Abkhazia.[2] Since the Russian recognition of Georgia's breakaway Abkhazia and South Ossetia in 2008 and its military occupation of both regions since, the relations between the two countries remained tense. Gavrilov's actions on 20 June were perceived by the Georgian public as denigrating to Georgian sovereignty: a representative of the occupying power in the chair of the Head of Parliament.

The opposition, mainly members of parliament of the European Georgia and United National Movement, entered the plenary chamber and occupied the speaker's tribune, demanding the Russian delegation to leave, after which the session was suspended and Gavrilov left the parliament building.[1] They called for public protests and the resignation of the Chairman of Parliament Irakli Kobakhidze and the Georgian delegation leader of the Interparliamentary Assembly on Orthodoxy, MP Zakaria Kutsnashvili responsible for the event.[3][4][5] Quickly opposition supporters and other activists gathered in front of the parliament. Later in the evening the main protest was held in front of the parliament, which turned violent after a group of protesters tried to enter the parliament and clashed with the riot police. The special tasks division of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Tbilisi police deployed rubber bullets and tear gas against the protesters. Approximately 240 demonstrators were injured and 305 protesters were arrested. At least two people experienced eye injuries and loss of vision due to rubber bullets, according to Giorgi Kordzakhiya, director of Tbilisi's New Hospital.[6] The government accused protesters of attempting to storm the parliament building. On the other hand, the opposition decried what it considered as the excessive use of force against protesters by the government.

Protests continued on next days demanding the resignation of government officials responsible for police actions, including the MIA of Georgia Giorgi Gakharia, and introduction of fully proportional election system instead of the existing semi-proportional. Protests calmed down after 24 June when the head of the ruling Georgian Dream Party, Bidzina Ivanishvili, announced a change to the electoral system.[7][8] However, minor protests continued demanding the resignation of Giorgi Gakharia.

Major protests renewed on 13 November after the Georgian Dream party failed to adopt the promised electoral reform.[9] On 18 November, 20,000 people gathered in the center of Tbilisi demanding the resignation of government.[10] Protesters blocked the entrance to parliament and prevented the legislative session from taking place. Riot police dispersed protests using water cannon, resulting in the injury of 4 protesters and 2 policemen and the arrest of 37.[11] On 25 November, police had to use water cannon again in order to clear the parliament entrance, leaving 3 protesters heavily injured.

Following the protests of 20–21 June, 2019, Irakli Kobakhidze, Georgia's Chairman of Parliament, announced his resignation.[8] After mass demonstrations on 24 June in Tbilisi, the head of the ruling Georgian Dream Party, Bidzina Ivanishvili, announced a change to the electoral system from a mixed to proportional representation for the 2020 elections and lowering the vote barrier for parties.[7]

On 26 June, Nika Melia, an opposition leader and United National Movement MP was charged with organizing, managing or participating in group violence during the protests.[12] The Georgian parliament suspended his parliamentary immunity, allowing his detention if necessary. On 28 June he was released on bail. Court decision banned Melia from leaving home without previously informing law enforcers, making public statements in public areas and communicating with witnesses. His passport was confiscated and he was obliged to wear an electronic bracelet to be monitored.[13][14]

On 4 July 2019, the Prosecutor's Office of Georgia launched an investigation into charges of 'attempting a coup'.[15]

After the failure of the proposed electoral amendments to be passed on 13 November 2019, the ruling party and the opposition held several rounds of talks, and on 8 March 2020, a memorandum of understanding was signed, marking achievement of consensus over electoral reform. The amendments were adopted by the Georgian Parliament on 29 June 2020, with 117 out of 142 members voting in support for the reforms. The new electoral law stipulated that 120 deputies would be elected via proportional representation, while another 30 would be elected from single-member constituencies. The constituencies would be drawn according to the instructions given by the Venice Commission, and the Georgian judiciary. For proportional representation seats, the electoral threshold was fixed at 1%. No party could obtain a majority of seats without getting at least 40% of votes from the electorate.[16]

Several members of the ruling Georgian Dream party condemned Gavrilov assuming the Georgian parliament's speaker's chair and said that it was a "protocol error".[1]

A day after the protests started President of Russia Vladimir Putin signed a decree to suspend passenger flights carrying Russian citizens from Russia to Georgia, effective 8 July 2019.[17][18] Russia's Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Well-being increased quality controls on Georgian wine and mineral water, seen as linked to the escalation in tensions.[19][20][21]

President Salome Zourabichvili shortened her visit to Belarus to attend the opening ceremony of the 2019 European Games and to meet with President Alexander Lukashenko following the beginning of the protests. In an interview with Euronews, Zourabichvili called for a "de-escalation" in the situation while also blaming Russia for stirring up a "fifth column" in the country that is loyal to Moscow.[22] Russian Prime Minister Dimitry Medvedev denied these claims by saying it is a "distortion of reality".[23] Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov criticized her remarks as "ultra-extremist" in a statement on 25 June 2019.[24] Zourabichvili also called on Russian tourists affected by the travel ban to keep coming to Georgia because "They love Georgia" and that "politicians must solve the problems".[25]

In July 2019, Russia denounced an expletive-laden attack on Vladimir Putin by Georgian TV host Giorgi Gabunia during a broadcast on Rustavi 2.[26]

On 8 September, Giorgi Gakharia became Prime Minister of Georgia. Between 14 and 25 November several Georgian Dream MPs left the party, including 3 Conservative Party members consisting of: Zviad Dzidziguri, Gia Bukia and Nino Goguadze, Paata Kvijinadze remained in Georgian Dream however didn't leave the Conservatives, while Ruslan Gajiev defected to the Green Party and Mukhran Vakhtangadze to Georgian Dream proper. other MPs who left the party were: 1 member of the Green Party - Giorgi Begadze, along with 9 others, including – Tamar Chugoshvili, Tamar Khulordava, Mariam Jashi, Irina Pruidze, Dimitri Tskitishvili, Zaza Khutsishvili, Giorgi Mosidze, and Sofio Katsarava.

Sofio Katsara also resigned as an MP.

On 2 December, Akaki Zoidze resigned as an MP.

On 10 December MP Aleksandre Erkvania left Georgian Dream.

• Russo-Georgian war
• Russo-Georgian relations
• List of protests in the 21st century
• 2020–2021 Georgian political crisis