In the early morning of November 19, police violently dispersed the 48-hour rally near Tbilisi State University. Many of the demonstrators were physically assaulted, and at least 11 were arrested, including Mtavari TV cameraman Sergi Baramidze, who was released several hours later. The peaceful demonstrators, many of whom were students, occupied the first building of Tbilisi State University and the Varaziskhevi area, where they had been camping in tents for the second consecutive day.
A video showing police, including riot units, entering the Tbilisi State University (TSU) grounds minutes before dispersing peaceful protesters on the other side of the academic building at dawn on November 19 has sparked outrage among students and the public. The police allegedly used the university area to quietly cross to the other side and launch an offensive against peaceful protesters. Despite the growing backlash, university officials, including rector Jaba Samushia, have remained silent.
Public Defender Levan Ioseliani released a statement, emphasizing that when law enforcement began detaining individuals on Melikishvili Avenue, “the protest was peaceful and in accordance with the norms of freedom of assembly.” In a statement, the Ombudsman further indicated that “there may have been improper treatment or excessive use of force by the police” against the demonstrators.
Civil society organizations also reacted to the violent crackdown on the demonstrators, condemning the actions of the Interior Ministry and calling on law enforcement agencies to allow demonstrators to exercise their right to freedom of expression. In a joint statement, several NGOs stressed that the police “grossly violates the freedoms of assembly and expression of citizens” urging the MIA to act strictly within the limits of law and respect fundamental rights and freedoms of demonstrators.
Despite the violent crackdown, on Tuesday evening, more citizens returned to the original protest site near Tbilisi State University, blocking several intersections in central Tbilisi once again. Late Tuesday night rally continued as large numbers of protesters fully regained ground near Tbilisi University, watching the football match of the national team against Czechia.
In the meantime, the de facto president of occupied Abkhazia, Aslan Bzhania has resigned after opposition protesters stormed government buildings and clashed with police over a contentious investment agreement, granting Russian businesses in Abkhazia major tax breaks. Bzhania’s resignation is part of the deal struck with the opposition stipulating that protesters will vacate “the government building complex” on Tuesday. If they fail to comply, Bzhania will rescind his resignation, his statement reads.
On November 19, President Salome Zurabishvili released a video address in connection with 1000 days of Ukraine’s fight against Russian aggression. In a video address, the President praised the bravery of the Ukrainian people in defending not only their independence but shared values of Europe against Russian aggression. In her video address, President Zurabishvili also mentioned the developments in occupied Abkhazia, saying that Georgians there stand firm against Russia’s annexation efforts.
On November 19, the 122nd Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism meeting was held in Ergneti (in the vicinity of the Tskhinvali occupation line). According to Irakli Antadze, deputy director of the analytical department of the Georgian State Security Service, the main issue on the agenda of the meeting was the release of Georgian citizens illegally detained by the occupying forces, as well as the so-called “borderization.”
