Zurabishvili has left presidential palace: I take legitimacy with me. VIDEO
The Georgian parliament is currently in the process of inaugurating the new president, Mikheil Kavelashvili. In turn, the current head of state, Salome Zurabishvili, said she was leaving the presidential palace. This was reported by Censor.NET with reference to Echo of the Caucasus.
"I will leave here with you and be with you. I am taking with me the legitimacy, the flag, your trust," she told the protesters gathered outside the Orbeliani Palace.
Zurabishvili also called the inauguration of the new president of Georgia a "travesty" and, after finishing her speech, left the presidential palace to join the protesters.
The night before, the Georgian president addressed the nation and said she would not leave the presidential palace and would stay there overnight.
As a reminder, on 28 December, Georgians took to the streets as part of the Chain of Unity rally, which took place a month after Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze's announcement that he would suspend negotiations on EU accession.
Protests in Georgia against the rejection of European integration
As a reminder, on 28 November, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze said that his country was abandoning negotiations on EU membership by 2028, as well as any budget grants from the EU.
After that, rallies began in Tbilisi.
The leader of Georgia, Salome Zurabishvili, joined the protesters in front of the parliament building in Tbilisi.
On the night of 29-30 November 2024, Georgian security forces used force and special equipment to disperse protesters who had gathered on Rustaveli Avenue in Tbilisi. Police detained 107 protesters.
Against the backdrop of brutal suppression of protests, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze said that the country's authorities would not allow a repeat of the Ukrainian Euromaidan scenario.
On Saturday 30 November, thousands of protesters gathered in Tbilisi again against the decision of the ruling Georgian Dream party to abandon negotiations with the EU on accession by 2028. Protests also continued in other cities across the country.
Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili, who supported the protests in the country, said that the country's parliament was illegitimate and therefore would not be able to elect a new president, and that her mandate would continue until a new president was elected by a new parliament.
Later, the candidate of the ruling party, Mikheil Kavelashvili, was declared the winner of the presidential election in Georgia
