TBILISI — Protests in Georgia entered a 13th day despite arrests and physical attacks against activists and opposition figures.

Protesters gathered outside the Georgian parliament building in Tbilisi, chanting and blocking the street on Tuesday.

Police have detained an increasing number of people as the crackdown on anti-government protests intensifies.

The ruling Georgian Dream retained control of parliament in the disputed October 26 election, a vote widely seen as a referendum on Georgia’s EU aspirations.

The opposition and the pro-Western president Salome Zourabichvili have accused the governing party of rigging the vote with neighbouring Russia’s help and have boycotted parliament sessions.

Opposition protests gained new momentum following the Georgian Dream’s decision last Thursday to put EU accession talks on hold.

More than 300 protesters have been detained and over 100 people treated for injuries so far.

Tbilisi formally applied for EU membership in March of 2022 following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. They were granted EU candidate status in December of the following year, to the delight of many Georgians who celebrated on the streets of Tbilisi.

Protesters say they will continue to demonstrate against this injustice, for as long as it takes, until their demands are met. — Euronews