Georgia’s Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has accused protesters who attempted to storm the presidential palace of plotting to overthrow the government and charged the European Union with interfering in his country’s domestic politics.
Speaking on Sunday, Kobakhidze alleged that opposition demonstrators in Tbilisi sought to “overthrow the constitutional order,” and he singled out the European Union’s ambassador to Georgia, Pawel Herczynski, for what he described as tacit support for the protests.
“The EU ambassador bears special responsibility,” Kobakhidze said, urging Herczynski to “distance himself and condemn what is happening on the streets of Tbilisi,” according to local news agency Interpress.
The protests turned violent on Saturday as riot police deployed water cannons and pepper spray to disperse crowds attempting to reach the presidential palace. Authorities detained at least five people, while Georgia’s Ministry of Labour, Health and Social Affairs reported that 21 security officers and six protesters were injured in the clashes.
Government estimates placed the turnout at roughly 7,000 protesters, though opposition groups claimed far higher numbers.
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“They moved to action, began the overthrow attempt—it failed, and now they are trying to distance themselves from it,” the prime minister said. “No one will escape responsibility, including political responsibility.”
Kobakhidze also vowed to “completely neutralise foreign agents,” echoing rhetoric that critics say mirrors Moscow’s language toward dissent.
The demonstrations coincided with local elections in which the ruling Georgian Dream party—often accused of being sympathetic to Russia—declared sweeping victories across all municipalities. Opposition groups denounced the results as fraudulent, calling for a “peaceful revolution” to reclaim what they described as stolen votes.
Thousands rallied in Freedom Square and Rustaveli Avenue waving Georgian and EU flags, chanting pro-democracy slogans before some broke away, blocking roads and setting small fires.
Tbilisi’s mayor, former AC Milan footballer Kakha Kaladze, retained his post under Georgian Dream’s banner.
Kobakhidze dismissed claims of Russian alignment, insisting in a recent Euronews op-ed that Georgia’s path toward EU membership remains “steady and irreversible.”
However, the country has been gripped by political turmoil since disputed parliamentary elections last year, which opposition leaders and President Salome Zourabichvili called “a total robbery of votes.”
The ruling party’s founder and Georgia’s richest man, Bidzina Ivanishvili, has been sanctioned by the United States for allegedly undermining Georgia’s “democratic and Euro-Atlantic future for the benefit of Russia,” according to former U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken.