For the second weekend in a row, club owners across the country of Georgia have canceled events in solidarity with ongoing protests.
The protests came about after a controversial election in which the ruling party, Georgian Dream, maintained its majority. Soon after the election, Georgian Dream announced that it would be postponing its plans to enter the European Union; E.U. membership polls strongly at around 80 percent, and working toward entering the E.U. is enshrined in the country’s constitution.
Opposition figures and the country’s President have contested the outcome of this election, citing polling discrepancies and suspicious incidents at voting locations as indications that the election may have been rigged.
This election came at a tumultuous time in the country, as Georgian Dream’s government has been responsible for two controversial laws in recent months.
First, the government enacted the Foreign Agents law, dubbed by many protestors as the “Russian Law,” which required NGOs and independent media funded by foreign donors for over 20% of their budgets to register as organizations "bearing the interests of a foreign power."
Second, the government put into place the “On the Protection of Family Values and Minors” law, which compares homosexuality to incest and attempts to limit the “popularization” of LGBTQIA2+ ideas.
Last week, all of these factors, spurred in large part by the aforementioned E.U. membership postponement, resulted in an estimated 200,000 Georgians pouring into the streets of major cities across the country daily.
It is estimated that over 300 people have been detained as part of these protests, and allegations have been made that the police are brutalizing protestors. German Ambassador to Georgia Peter Fischer alleged in a statement that 85% of those arrested at the protests were injured. The Government, in turn, claims that over 140 police officers have also been injured in the protests.
On November 29, 2024, clubs Bassiani, Cafe Gallery, Khidi, Left Bank, Mtkvarze, Tbili Orgia, and TES put out a joint statement criticizing the government for “openly and declaratively reject[ing] the will of the Georgian people to join the European family.”
“The rise of far-right populism, alongside the passage of Russian-backed and anti-LGBTQ+ laws in 2024, represents a direct assault on [the Georgian people’s] achievements, a shared and liberated future,” the statement reads in part. “We call on every citizen to join the demonstrations of disobedience across all cities in Georgia, reclaiming the space of resistance together.”
These clubs were not alone. A group of local record labels, festivals, and promoters have put out their own statement, saying that they “do not recognize the legitimacy of the conducted elections or one-party rule,” alleging that the present government is actively “disregard[ing] the will and aspirations of the Georgian people to become part of the European family.”
In the days since, the protests have only grown, with demonstrators emerging in cities like Zugdidi, Kutaisi, and Batumi to share their disagreement with the present government.
As the protests enter their second weekend, many clubs remain closed, with others opening their doors to welcome protestors in need of assistance.
For example, Dedaena Bar, located in Tbilisi’s Dedaena Park, shared on their Instagram story that they would be open late to welcome anyone who needs “heat, a break, to charge [their] phone, or anything else” with “warmth, food, and hot drinks.” Other bars in the vicinity of the protests, such as Secret Place, are offering medical supplies, masks, and tea for those who “need some help or rest.”
Additionally, almost 100 Georgian musicians, including Bedford Falls and Eurovision contestants Circus Mircus, have announced that they will not be participating in any state event as a consequence of the government’s actions.
“We condemn their use of disproportionate and excessive force against protesters, looting, illegal arrests, intimidation and many other criminal methods used by the ruling party to maintain power,” the statement reads in part.
“On the one hand, musicians enjoy the goodwill and sympathy of society, which is why we are obliged to ensure that our resources are not used to promote the social image of the ruling party and strengthen its positions. On the other hand, state events are held by an illegitimate government with a budget filled by the people who defend their homeland at the cost of putting their own lives and freedom at risk. Therefore, we, musicians, protest against the illegitimate government, swear and refuse to participate in any state event.”
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