Police in Georgia arrested several anti-government protesters on Sunday as thousands of demonstrators demanding new parliamentary elections briefly blocked a motorway on the edge of the capital Tbilisi. Nika Melia, a leader of the country's largest opposition party, the Coalition for Change was among those arrested. He was later released on bail after detention for an administrative offence. Former Tbilisi mayor Gigi Ugulava, another prominent opposition figure was also arrested. Around thirty persons are reportedly still in detention.
"At the police station, I was sitting on a chair in handcuffs and was kicked by a police officer," Interfax cited Melia as telling journalists afterwards. There was no immediate comment from the police. Georgia's Ministry Of Internal Affairs had said in a statement before the protest that the police would ensure the rally took place "in a peaceful environment, within the limits established by law."
Former Tbilisi Mayor Giorgi Ugulava was also arrested, local media reported. Georgians have been rallying nightly since November, when the ruling Georgian Dream party said it was suspending EU membership discussions until 2028, abruptly halting a long-standing national goal. Georgian Dream held onto power in a disputed electioon in October that opposition parties say was rigged. The government says the vote was fair and free.
Protests had dwindled in recent weeks but they resumed with greater force on Sunday when thousands of people gathered outside a shopping complex on the northern edge of Tbilisi and briefly blocked the road leading out of the city. Police presence at the rally was considerable. Earlier on Sunday, the Interior Ministry warned protesters in a statement that blocking the motorway was a criminal offence
According to Rueters, one protester was seen by the side of the road, unconscious although the news agency was unable to establish what had happened to him. Unverified video footage posted on social media showed scores of police in balaclavas beating protesters on the streets and others carrying away injured demonstrators into ambulances.
