Tens of thousands of Georgians took to the streets again Sunday as mass nationwide protests entered their fourth night. National media outlets reported demonstrations in at least eight cities, and protesters setting up roadblocks, as well as shutting down access to the Black Sea port of Poti.

Georgia has been rocked by unrest since the pro-Russian Georgian Dream party claimed victory in a contested October 26 vote.

The country's opposition is boycotting parliament over the situation and the past several days have seen a massive uptick in civil unrest after Georgian Dream said it would pause Georgia's accession bid to join the EU.

Georgian Dream says it made the decision to protect Georgia against outside meddling in its affairs.

The decision was announced by Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze on Thursday.

Incumbent President Salome Zurabishvili, who has called the Georgian Dream government "illegitimate," has joined protesters calling for a new vote.

Zurabishvili has vowed to remain in office, decrying the vote and Thursday's EU decision as unconstitutional and against the interests of the Georgian people.

On Sunday, Zurabishvili told a meeting of opposition leaders: "We only have one demand, which is based on the constitution. The only way to achieve stability is through new elections, there is no other way."

Protesters at the door

On Sunday, protesters in the capital, Tbilisi, gathered outside parliament, waving EU flags and banging on the institution's front door, with many wearing protective masks to fend against tear gas, which police have used of late.

Uniformed officers have reportedly pushed some protesters away, forcing them to retrench near Tbilisi State University.

On Saturday, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze had brushed off calls for a new vote.  

"The formation of the new government based on the October 26 parliamentary elections has been completed," he said.

The European Union has called for an investigation into the October ballot over "serious electoral irregularities" and has withheld recognition of the incoming Georgian Dream government as the legitimate winner.

The European Parliament has officially rejected the result and called for sanctions against Kobakhidze and others.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Sunday reaffirmed the EU's openness to Georgia, despite a potential shift away from pro-European values. In a statement posted on X, von der Leyen expressed "regret" over the Georgian government's decision to diverge from EU principles. 

"The door to the EU remains open," she wrote. "The return of Georgia on the EU path is in the hands of the Georgian leadership."

President Zurabishvili dismissed Georgian Dream's nomination for the presidency and claimed Saturday to have set up a "national council" of opposition parties. The council and the presidency, she said, would "ensure stability in this country."

With Georgian Dream having approved its own claim to victory before a court could rule on Zurabishvili's move to annul the vote, constitutional experts say any steps taken by the new government, including appointments, will be invalid.

EU and US condemn excessive police force

The police response to the protests has been robust, with more than 150 people arrested and officers chasing down and pummeling participants.

Rubber bullets, tear gas and water cannon have all been used over the past few days.

DW's Tbilisi correspondent Maria Katamadze on Sunday posted images of police using water cannons as protesters shot fireworks at parliament. 

The heavy-handed suppression of protests has drawn broad condemnation internationally, with the EU's new top foreign policy representative, Kaja Kallas, warning against the use of excessive force against citizens.

Speaking in Kyiv, Ukraine, Kallas said, "It is clear that using violence against peaceful protesters is not acceptable, and [the] Georgian government should respect the will of the Georgian people, but also the Georgian constitution."

In a post on the social media platform X, Kallas wrote, "We stand with the Georgian people and their choice for a European future" and warned of "direct consequences from EU side."

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen reiterated the EU's open door to Georgia despite concerns over the country's leadership apparently shifting away from pro-European principles.

"The door to the EU remains open," she wrote on X. "The return of Georgia on the EU path is in the hands of the Georgian leadership."

Along with Britain, France, Lithuania, Poland, Sweden and Ukraine, the United States also voiced its concern on the situation in Georgia.

"We condemn excessive force used against Georgians exercising their freedom to protest and have suspended our Strategic Partnership with Georgia," said US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller

The ever-present specter of Russia

Polling has consistently shown that the majority of Georgians want their country to join the EU, a step that was formally enshrined in the constitution of the former Soviet republic. Still, Georgian Dream, like a handful of other European parties, has strong pro-Russian sympathies.

Pro-Russian ally Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban was quick to show support for Georgian Dream's victory claim, jetting to the country within hours of polls closing in October. He recently voiced support for Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze and his EU decision.

The Kremlin has yet to comment officially on the situation. Nevertheless, Moscow is following events closely, with Dmitry Medvedev, a hawkish former president, writing on Telegram, that an attempted revolution was underway in Georgia.

Georgia is "moving rapidly along the Ukrainian path, into the dark abyss," he wrote, adding, "Usually this sort of thing ends very badly."

Russia invaded Georgia in 2008 and maintains a military presence in both the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia and the former South Ossetian Autonomous region of Soviet Georgia — both of which are widely recognized as occupied rather as independent territories.

js/sms (AFP, dpa, Reuters)