Day 451 of continuous pro-European protests in Tbilisi. Video/photo blog
At the protests in Georgia
The weekly Saturday march on February 21 in Tbilisi demanded that the country return to the path of European integration. Hundreds of students and teachers protesting against education reforms joined thousands gathered outside the Philharmonic Hall.
As the march moved through central Tbilisi, thousands more were waiting outside the parliament building, as usual.
For more than a year – since November 2024 — continuous protests have been taking place in Georgia, with demonstrators demanding that the country return to the path of European integration. Every evening thousands, and often tens of thousands, gather in Tbilisi and several other cities. Over this time dozens of participants have been detained, many have faced criminal charges, and some have been sentenced to prison terms.
For the first time in the history of independent Georgia, the country has up to 150 prisoners of conscience, including women. Among them is Mzia Amaglobeli, founder of the popular outlets Batumelebi and Netgazeti. In 2025 she was sentenced to two years in prison for slapping a police officer.
Protesters demand the release of all political prisoners, new parliamentary elections – as they do not recognize the results of the 2024 vote – and the repeal of all anti-democratic laws adopted over the past two years.
To suppress the protests, the ruling Georgian Dream party has increasingly tightened repression against civil society and the media. However, protests in various forms continue.
