An estimated 30,000 opposition supporters have rallied in the Georgian capital against the government's Russia policy and the Kremlin's backing of separatists in the breakaway Abkhazia and South Ossetia regions.
Carrying Georgian and Ukrainian flags and placards that read "Stop Putin!," the protesters gathered on Tbilisi's main thoroughfare, following the call of the former President Mikheil Saakashvili's United National Movement party (UNM).
Saakashvili addressed the rally by video link from Kyiv as the cheering crowd chanted his name.
The former president said, "Let's show Georgia's government that the nation is united against the serious threat to its independence, its future."
Saakashvili's UNM party has accused the ruling Georgian Dream coalition government of not confronting what it claims is Russia's creeping annexation of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
Georgian Dream, formed by former Prime Minister and billionaire tycoon Bidzina Ivanishvili, came to power in 2012 and ended a decade-long rule of staunchly pro-Western Saakashvili and his UNM party.
Many former top Saakashvili officials have been arrested over the last two years for alleged wrongdoing, prompting warnings from the West over selective justice and persecution of political opponents.
Moscow-backed Abkhazia and South Ossetia broke away from Georgia after conflicts in the 1990s following the break-up of the Soviet Union.
Moscow officially recognized their independence after fighting a five-day war against Georgia in August 2008.
Following the 2008 conflict, Russia deployed thousands of troops in the two regions. Georgia and the West condemned the move as an illegal occupation.
More recently, Moscow took further measures to integrate them, proposing "alliance and integration" agreements that would considerably strengthen their ties with Russia.
The agreements provide for the creation of joint Russian and Abkhazian military forces.
Tbilisi condemned the move as "yet another step against Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity."
The November 15 protest was held amid a looming political crisis sparked by the recent departure of three cabinet ministers responsible for closer integration with the EU and NATO.
RFE/RL has been declared an "undesirable organization" by the Russian government.
If you are in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine and hold a Russian passport or are a stateless person residing permanently in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine, please note that you could face fines or imprisonment for sharing, liking, commenting on, or saving our content, or for contacting us.
To find out more, click here.
Editors' Picks
Top Trending
1
Exclusive: The TikTok Trail Of The U.S. Soldier Arrested In Russia Left By His Russian 'Wife'
2Kazakh Billionaire Buys English Soccer Club
32 U.S. Citizens, Including Soldier, Join List Of Americans Being Held In Russia
4Kazakh Ex-Minister Insists In Court He Had No Intention To Kill Wife
5North Macedonia Ruling Party Concedes As Opposition Wins Dual Votes
6Chinese-Made Surveillance Cameras Are Spreading Across Eastern Europe, Despite Security Concerns
7All 5 Central Asian Leaders To Attend Victory Day Parade In Moscow
8North Macedonia's New President Prefers The Country's Old Name
9What Is Behind Serbia And China's 'Ironclad Friendship'?
10Putin Inaugurated In Ceremony Marked By Western Boycott
Subscribe