The 2024–2026 Georgian protests (Georgian: საქართველოს საპროტესტო აქციები, romanized: sakartvelos sap’rot’est’o aktsiebi) began on 28 October 2024 after the preliminary official results of the parliamentary election of 26 October were announced. The ruling Georgian Dream party, led by Bidzina Ivanishvili, declared victory according to those results. The demonstrators claimed that the elections were fraudulent, and demanded a recount and a new election.
A string of protests and legal challenges against the election outcome took place in the following months and escalated on 28 November when the ruling party announced that, it would "suspend" the European Union accession process until the end of 2028. This decision occurred against the background of Georgians' high levels of trust in the EU.
Police and ruling party-affiliated violent groups engaged in widespread violence and torture against protesters and journalists. Evidence circulated on social media indicating violence by the Titushky. The Public Defender of Georgia found that the type and severity of injuries intentionally inflicted on protesters "constitutes an act of torture". An investigation by BBC also revealed that the ruling party had used a chemical weapon camite against protestors, which the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture described as "absolutely in violation of human rights law."
On 13 February 2025, the European Parliament passed a resolution stating that it does not recognize the results of both the parliamentary and presidential elections as legitimate. High-ranking officials of the Georgian Dream ruling party were sanctioned by the United States, United Kingdom, and a number of individual EU member states. On 4 October 2025, some parts of the opposition attempted to storm the Presidential Palace, but were stopped by the security forces.
Timeline
First wave (28 October–25 November)
On 28 October 2024, tens of thousands of protesters rallied in Tbilisi to protest the results of the recent parliamentary elections, which President Salome Zourabichvili criticized as rife with irregularities. Addressing the crowd, Zourabichvili claimed the ruling Georgian Dream party employed tactics akin to those used in Russia, arguing that the election results did not accurately reflect voters' intentions. Officially, Georgian Dream was reported to have won over 54 percent of the vote, securing the parliamentary majority. President Zourabichvili, in her address, reassured demonstrators, stating, "You did not lose the election. They stole your vote and tried to steal your future".
Protest on 28 October 2024
Election observers said instances of intimidation and other violations were particularly noticeable in rural areas. In those areas, Georgian Dream received up to 90 percent of the vote according to the results, suggesting a possible scheme to favor Georgian Dream in those areas. The European Union, several of its members like Germany and France, and the United States called for an investigation into these allegations. The ambassador of the European Union to Georgia Paweł Herczyński stated that "international observers have not declared the elections to be free and fair. Neither have they declared the contrary".
The European Commission and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell called on the Central Election Commission of Georgia (CEC) to "swiftly, transparently and independently investigate and adjudicate electoral irregularities and allegations thereof". The President of the European Council Charles Michel stated that the allegations of irregularities "must be seriously clarified and addressed". Meanwhile, Hungary, China, and Turkey congratulated Georgian Dream on their victory in the election. On 30 October, the Prosecutor's Office of Georgia launched an investigation into the election fraud allegations.
On 4 November, opposition parties in Tbilisi staged another rally outside the Georgian parliament, unveiling a strategy to contest the election results. Prior to that rally, a large group, including opposition leaders, marched from the central railway station through the city to Rustaveli Avenue and the parliament. At the rally the pro-Western opposition claimed once again the vote of 26 October was "stolen", rejected the results and called for non-recognition of the legitimacy of the newly elected parliament. The opposition demanded new elections with international supervision and called for a "peaceful front of opposition" which should start in Tbilisi and spread across the country.
Protest on 4 November 2024
Opposition leaders said the protests would intensify over time and urged supporters to gather across Tbilisi in large numbers to obstruct parliament access and maintain visible pressure on authorities. Meanwhile, Transparency International Georgia reported on several instances of electoral misconduct during the elections, including unauthorized voting with confiscated IDs, which they partly attributed to negligence by the Central Election Commission (CEC). A day later, the opposition protested at the Tbilisi Court of Appeal and marched through Tbilisi afterwards, hindering traffic. The Appeals court began the review of cases on election violations, which were ruled by lower district courts in favor of the opposition claims.
On 12 November, another protest was held in front of parliament, where speeches were delivered by the chairpersons of the foreign relations committees of Germany, Finland, Sweden, France, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, and Poland. Prior to the protest, they also held meetings with President Zourabichvili.
On 14 November, students at Batumi State University went on strike, accusing the election administration of aligning with the Georgian Dream and demanding new elections. After occupying the university, they faced heating and electricity cuts but continued their protest outside, urging nationwide support. Solidarity protests spread to Tbilisi, with students from Ilia State University, Tbilisi State University, Caucasus University, the Medical University, and GIPA joining, while universities in Kutaisi also expressed support.
On 15 November, a court in Tbilisi dismissed 11 lawsuits filed by opposition parties and civil society groups questioning the conduct of the election, during which the CEC was the defendant. As the CEC officially certified the result the next day, its chair, Giorgi Kalandarishvili, was doused with black paint by CEC commissioner David Kirtadze, a member of the opposition United National Movement, who said that the official results of the vote did not reflect the electorate's "true choice".
On 17 November, a large rally took place in front of the Parliament building, while the Coalition for Change (CfC), initiated a parallel protest near Tbilisi State University on Chavchavadze Avenue. The group blocked the avenue, set up tents, and announced a 24-hour sit-in. The protest remained peaceful as activists erected tents, with police refraining from intervention. By evening, demonstrators from Rustaveli Avenue joined the group at the university.
However, tensions escalated on 19 November, when police forcefully dismantled the protest camp at dawn. At least 16 people were arrested, including a cameraman for the opposition television channel Mtavari Arkhi. Despite the initial setback, protesters regrouped and reclaimed Chavchavadze Avenue by the evening.
On 18 November, Zourabichvili filed a lawsuit with Constitutional Court, seeking to annul the results of the election. A statement from her office declared the election results "unconstitutional," citing violations of the principles of universality and secrecy.
Later, outrage erupted after riot police were let into Tbilisi State University and used it as a staging ground for dispersing peaceful protesters on 19 November, sparking accusations that the university was enabling the crackdown. Student Movements and lecturers demanded the Rector's resignation, accusing TSU of betraying academic values. While the Interior Ministry denied using TSU as a base, protests and condemnation from professors and students across Georgia continued, highlighting TSU's alleged lack of independence under the Georgian Dream government. Several activists and students from different universities entered TSU's main campus as part of the ongoing protest and started a strike demanding resignation.
The new parliament held its inaugural session on 25 November, with only 88 MPs from Georgian Dream in attendance. President Zourabichvili boycotted the session, while protests continued outside the parliament building. Constitutional experts said the self-inauguration of Parliament without the president calling this session is in violation of the constitution, challenging the legitimacy of parliament and calling it a "power grab". According to the Georgian constitution, it is the president's task to call the inaugural session of parliament. She refused to do so as she rejected the election results as rigged, questioning the legitimacy of parliament. President Zourabichvili called the convocation of parliament "unconstitutional", while the chair of the parliament Shalva Papuashvili accused Zourabichvili of violating constitution in response, saying that according to constitution the new parliament must be convened no later than 10 days after official announcement of results by the Central Election Commission.
Second wave (28 November 2024 – 3 October 2025)
On 28 November 2024, the new convocation of the Parliament of Georgia confirmed the government of Irakli Kobakhidze, who made several changes to its composition. The official program was titled "Towards Europe with Peace, Dignity, and Prosperity", which the ruling party adopted as a slogan during the pre-election campaign with its emphasis on "joining the European Union only whilst playing by Georgian rules, avoiding being drawn into Russo-Ukrainian war and preserving the traditional values". On the same day, the European Parliament passed the resolution demanding new elections in Georgia "under international supervision". It called on the European Commission to impose sanctions on the leaders of the Georgian government. In the evening, Kobakhidze held a press briefing. He announced the unilateral suspension of EU accession, as well as rejecting any budgetary grants and loans from the EU until 2028. Kobakhidze said that EU accession and grants had been used as a "naked instrument of blackmail" by EU bodies such as the European Parliament, citing the resolutions adopted by the EP in the past years regarding Georgia. He condemned "interference by some European politicians and bureaucrats in parliamentary elections", as well as their alleged "attempts to incite revolution in Georgia". Kobakhidze said that Georgia would continue implementing the Georgia—European Union Association Agreement, and would revive the topic of opening the accession negotiations with the European Union in 2028, after strengthening its economy. Hours later, Russian president Vladimir Putin praised the move, saying he "admired [the administration's] courage and character, which they showed when defending their point of view". The protests against the decision began in front of the Georgian parliament building during the same day and continued during several days, primarily in Tbilisi but also in other cities including Batumi, Poti, Zugdidi, and Kutaisi.
The parliament also set a date for the 2024 Georgian presidential election on 14 December. After the 2017 constitutional reform, the president is no longer elected by popular vote, but instead through a 300-member Electoral College, including all 150 MPs, all representatives from the supreme councils of the Abkhazian and Adjaran autonomous republics, and local bodies. Georgian Dream, holding a majority in the Electoral College, nominated Mikheil Kavelashvili, a member of its ally People's Power, to the presidency. Zourabichvili, the last president to be elected by popular vote, rejected the legitimacy of the current parliament and said that she would not step down as president "until the legitimate parliament is elected that will legitimately elect [a replacement]". Kobakhidze responded by saying "of course on 29 December she'll have to leave".
The protests were marked by widespread violence against protesters and journalists by the police. Some police officers were injured. RFE/RL journalist Tamuna Chkareuli reported that she had "never experienced this level of aggression from the police before". Amnesty International stated that "this recurring pattern of violence and human rights violations, well-documented since last year's protests, reveals the Georgian government's strategy to deploy the full machinery of the state to punish and suppress dissent".