Thousands in Tbilisi disrupt judges' controversial party – video
Protesters disrupt judges’ party in Tbilisi
Thousands gathered at the Babilo restaurant on the outskirts of Tbilisi on January 12 to protest judges holding over 30 participants of Georgia’s nearly six-week-long pro-European demonstrations in custody.
The judges had convened for a corporate dinner at the restaurant on Beliashvili Street. The event was hosted by Levan Murusidze, a U.S.-sanctioned appellate judge and member of Georgia’s High Council of Justice, who oversees judicial appointments in the country.
19 detained protesters in Georgia have been charged with organizing group violence, facing potential years in prison. None have admitted guilt, and independent legal experts widely assert that the detainees should be recognized as political prisoners.
Their trials have been postponed until March, and Tbilisi City Court has denied defense lawyers’ requests to release them on bail. Independent legal experts and rights advocates condemned the court’s decision as unlawful and politically motivated.
Mass protests have swept Georgia for over six weeks, with thousands demanding new parliamentary elections to enable a lawful change of government. Western partners have expressed support for the legitimacy of these demands.
Georgian protesters confront judges at restaurant amid ongoing demonstrations
“Corrupt judiciary undermines democracy and human rights,” read one of the banners held by protesters outside a Tbilisi restaurant on January 12.
Some judges attempted to avoid the crowd by parking far from the venue and entering through a back door, but protesters were waiting there as well.
In one video, demonstrators follow a judge, asking how he reached the point of sneaking into a restaurant and whether he is ashamed to admit he is a judge. The confrontation highlights growing discontent with Georgia’s judicial system amid nationwide calls for reform.
Protesters Block Judges’ Party in Central Tbilisi
— JAMnews (@JAMnewsCaucasus) January 12, 2025
Tbilisi is witnessing tense scenes as parents of detainees from recent pro-European protests, along with friends, activists, and ordinary citizens, block the entrance to a restaurant where Georgian judges are holding a corporate… pic.twitter.com/Tq4w9Ezr2D
Shortly after the protest began, judges and their guests started leaving the restaurant, prompting a heavy police presence at the scene. As they exited, some party attendees were pelted with eggs by demonstrators, intensifying tensions during the ongoing demonstration against Georgia’s judiciary.
Judges were escorted out of the restaurant by a large police and special forces presence, and were transported under guard in police vehicles.
The situation quickly escalated as thousands of protesters and additional police units arrived on the scene. Clashes and confrontations with the police ensued.
Clashes with police and arrests in #TbilisiProtests. Thousands gathered to support the families of young people detained during pro-European protests. After the court denied bail for the detainees yesterday, the judges were found attending a party at a Tbilisi restaurant today,… pic.twitter.com/cgazplu0j0
— JAMnews (@JAMnewsCaucasus) January 12, 2025
More footage of clashes with police and arrests in #TbilisiProtests. pic.twitter.com/lfAtZergRQ
— JAMnews (@JAMnewsCaucasus) January 12, 2025
The judges left the restaurant with the help of a special forces cordon.
According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, nine people were arrested during the protest near the “Bibilo” restaurant on Beliashvili Street in Tbilisi.
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