Protests continue in Tbilisi as winemakers, doctors, IT specialists, and others march on the 16th day

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“Take to the streets!” was the call as thousands joined marches across Tbilisi on December 13, marking the 16th day of pro-European protests. The main demands are the resignation of the government and the scheduling of new parliamentary elections.

Protesters declared that they had spent years building Georgia’s European future and would not allow it to be taken away.

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On this day, protesters took to the streets who had not yet participated in such demonstrations before. In different locations, groups gathered based on their professions.

Psychologists, musicians, IT specialists, PR professionals, marketers, lawyers, and many others joined the protests in separate marches. By evening, tens of thousands of demonstrators once again gathered outside parliament, as they have every previous evening.

Traffic in Tbilisi was paralyzed around midday due to the marches, with roads blocked across the city’s central districts.

The schedule for the 16th day of protests was as follows:

• 11:00: IT specialists’ march started from Republic Square.
• 12:00: Entrepreneurs’ march departed from the Technopark.
• 13:00: Students’ procession began at the National Center for Education Quality.
• 13:00: Managers started their march from Republic Square.
• 14:00: Musicians marched from the Conservatory to the Ministry of Culture.
• 14:30: Marketers, PR specialists, and representatives of the creative industries began their march from Vake Park toward parliament.
• 17:00: Lawyers and legal firm employees gathered outside the Supreme Court.
• 17:00: Winemakers gathered near the Ministry of Economy.
• 19:00: Electronic music and club industry workers began their march from Marjanishvili Metro toward parliament.
• 20:00: Psychologists started their march from Republic Square.

By 9-10 PM, all professional groups had assembled on Rustaveli Avenue near the parliament.

Many city residents emotionally welcomed the marches, waving flags from their balconies and the windows of apartments and offices.

A video has gone viral on social media showing two people standing on the arm of a construction crane on Vazha-Pshavela Avenue, waving a flag and a lit mobile phone flashlight in greeting to the protesters.

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Georgia’s Public Defender has stated that the violence used against detained protesters was so severe it could be equated with torture. Levan Ioseliani released an official statement saying that nearly half of the detainees showed evidence of injuries such as broken facial bones, fractured noses, and broken arms.

Protesters arrested during the demonstrations are being brought to court, with most receiving fines of 2,000-3,000 Georgian lari (around $1,000) for resisting police. Many are also sentenced to up to 14 days of imprisonment.

More than 30 individuals have been charged with criminal offenses.

Though updated figures on the number of detainees have not been provided by the Ministry of Internal Affairs in recent days. However, new arrests continue to be reported daily.