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The nation's leader, Irakli Kobakhidze, has announced a broad suppression on dissent, alleging protesters who attempted to storm the presidential palace of seeking to topple his administration and pointing the finger at the European Union for interference in the country's affairs.

Kobakhidze leveled these accusations just a day following demonstrators attempted to breach the presidential building during municipal polls. Security forces stopped them by employing irritant spray and water jets.

"No one will escape responsibility. This encompasses political accountability," the prime minister was reported to state.

Law enforcement arrested at least several demonstrators, including representatives of the largest opposition party and the vocal artist turned activist Paata Burchuladze.

Domestic news outlets reported the health ministry as saying that 21 police officers and 6 protesters had been injured in confrontations in the heart of the capital.

Context of the Political Unrest

The nation of Georgia has been in upheaval since the prime minister's governing GD party claimed victory in last year's general election, which the European-leaning opposition claims was stolen. From that point, Georgia's talks on joining the European Union have been halted.

The premier stated that up to 7,000 people attended Saturday's opposition rally but their "attempt to topple the constitutional order" had been thwarted despite what he called EU backing.

"Several people have already been arrested – primarily the leaders of the attempted overthrow," he informed the press, stating that the country's main opposition force "will no longer be allowed from being active in the nation's political scene."

Protest Movement Appeals and Government Reaction

Protest leaders had urged a "peaceful revolution" against GD, which they accuse of being aligned with Moscow and authoritarian. The political group has been in power since 2012.

Thousands of protesters gathered in the center of the city, displaying Georgian and EU flags, after an extended period of Kremlin-style raids on free press, limitations on non-governmental groups and the arrest of many of critics and activists.

Kobakhidze accused the EU's ambassador to Georgia, Paweł Herczyński, of meddling. "It is known that certain individuals from overseas have publicly stated explicit backing for these actions, for the announced attempt to overthrow the constitutional order," he said, noting that the ambassador "bears special responsibility in this context."

"The ambassador should come out, dissociate himself and strictly condemn everything that is happening on the streets of Tbilisi," stated Kobakhidze.

European Union Response and Ongoing Geopolitical Tensions

In the summer, the European External Action Service rejected what it termed "false information and unfounded claims" about the Union's supposed involvement in Georgia.

The pro-western opposition have been organizing demonstrations since the previous autumn, when GD won a parliamentary election that its critics claim was marred by fraud. The ruling group has denied allegations of vote-rigging.

The country has the goal of joining the European Union written into its constitution and has long been one of the most Europe-oriented of the former Soviet republics. Its relations with the west have been strained since Moscow's military offensive of its neighbor in 2022.

Georgian Dream is controlled by its creator, Bidzina Ivanishvili, the wealthiest individual and a former prime minister, and rejects it is aligned with Russia. It says it aims to join the European Union while maintaining stability with Moscow.