“When the state serves an oligarch, people leave” - from a march in Tbilisi. “Protests in Georgia” video blog
Why are people protesting in Georgia
“When the state serves oligarch Ivanishvili, people leave the country” was the main slogan of another pro-European march held in Tbilisi on August 15.
Speakers at the protest march spoke about the continued rise in emigration from Georgia. They cited a lack of jobs, low wages and an unstable situation in the country among the main reasons.
According to Geostat, more than 400,000 Georgian citizens emigrated from the country during the Georgian Dream’s rule, from 2012 to 2025, while the country’s total population is less than four million.
For more than a year and half – since November 2024 – continuous protests have been taking place in Georgia, with demonstrators demanding that the country return to the path of European integration. The results of the parliamentary elections held in autumn 2024 are still not recognised by part of Georgian society.
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 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.
News in Georgia
