Georgian Parliament cleared of encampments following a year of demonstrations by Mariam Nikuradze (Updated: about 1 hour ago)
Darejan Tskhvitaria, a Georgian protester who maintained a tent outside parliament for nearly a year, was detained by police for questioning following a small fire within one of the tents during the night. Upon her return, she found all associated tents, flags, personal possessions, clothing, and food removed from the site. Tskhvitaria initiated her daily protest against the Georgian Dream party’s policies outside parliament in March 2025.
She recounted waking around 02:00 on Wednesday-Thursday nights to reports of a fire in a neighboring tent housing two other activists. The blaze was quickly extinguished, and police responded. She attempted to contact others but her phone was immediately seized, and her contacts subsequently deleted.
Following over four hours at the police station, where she was assured her belongings would remain untouched, Tskhvitaria discovered her possessions had been taken. Despite this, she intends to continue her protest. “They will likely permit me to establish a tent again, I’m unsure.
However, regardless of whether I have a tent, I will remain here,” she stated. “Last winter, I lacked a tent but spent nights on the pavement; I will continue to be present.”
Tskhvitaria declared, “If my fate dictates death here, it will occur here, as I pledged allegiance to my homeland, committing to stay until the Georgian nation triumphs. I will not relocate.” Previous incidents, including an attack on her donation box in February, further solidified her resolve.
She believes the fire was deliberately set to eliminate the tents and protesters. The Interior Ministry confirmed an investigation into negligent fire starting and stated the area was cleared for security. They emphasized ongoing investigative actions and the removal of the damaged tent during site inspection, citing additional security measures.
Authorities have previously prohibited tents and protest equipment on parliament grounds, as demonstrated by actions in 2023 and 2024 involving protests in Chiatura and Tbilisi.
Topics: #parliament #tents #after
The Georgian Parliament was completely cleared of tents after a prolonged period of protests.
The Georgian Parliament has been completely cleared of tents after a prolonged period of protests.