Citizens took to the streets across Georgia in November 2024 when prime minister Irakli Kobakhidze announced a four-year suspension of talks on joining the EU. This followed the European Parliament’s rejection of Georgia’s recent elections, amidst claims of vote rigging. In the capital, Tbilisi, as thousands demonstrated, clashes erupted between police and protesters outside the parliament building.
Protests continued, despite a severe government crackdown on dissent in late December, when a law was passed criminalizing even symbolic acts of protest, such as the public posting of stickers.
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2025 Photo Contest - Europe - Stories
Protests in Georgia
Photographer
Mikhail Tereshchenko
TASS Agency
Shutter Speed
1/320
Focal length
85mm
F-Stop
1,8
ISO
6.4
Camera
EOS R3
Jury comment
The jury felt this was an important global story documenting mass anti-government protests in Georgia set against the backdrop of contested elections, escalating tensions between pro-Russian and pro-EU politicians, and the reintroduction of the 'foreign agents' draft bill. The nighttime images highlight the use of fireworks as a new urban weapon and capture the dynamics of mass protests, raising questions about how democratic movements worldwide respond to increasingly militarized police forces.