On Sunday, thousands of protesters rallied outside the Georgian parliament to oppose the country’s government.
The protest is a clear sign that the people of Georgia are not pleased with the government.
Protesters are accusing the Georgian Dream party of being under the sway of Russia and of backsliding on democracy.
Also, the citizens are accusing the government of jailing political opponents and silencing independent media.
The protesters outside the parliament building in the country’s capital Tbilisi waved the Georgian, Ukrainian, and European Union flags.
Georgia applied for EU membership along with Ukraine and Moldova days after Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.
In June, the EU formally named Ukraine and Moldova as candidate member states.
However, Georgia must implement some political and judicial reforms before being given the status, says the EU.
President Saakashvili
The rally is being organised by the main opposition party in support of a former President, Mikheil Saakashvili.
Mr Saakashvili served two terms as president between 2004 and 2013.
However, he is currently serving a six-year jail term for abuse of power, although international rights groups say his conviction is politically motivated.
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The chairperson of the United National Movement party, Levan Khabeishvili, calls for the “liberation of political prisoners”.
The party was founded by Mr Saakashvili, but Mr Khabeishvii took over after his conviction.
Russian Slavery
Giorgi Margvelashvili, who succeeded Mr Saakashvili as president, says the Georgian government is “being controlled from Moscow and our obligation is to save our homeland from Russian stooges”.
“We are freedom-loving people, part of the European family, we reject Russian slavery,” says Margvelashvili.
In recent months, Mr Saakashvili has staged several hunger strikes, and his supporters claim he is being denied proper healthcare.
Mr Saakashvili also alleges that he has been poisoned in prison, although Georgian authorities have accused him of feigning ill health to secure an early release.