Demonstrators have gathered, as they have the past four nights, in front of the parliament building in Georgia’s capital, Tbilisi. Some are banging stones on the metal barriers blocking access to the courtyard; others are shooting in fireworks, but the vast majority of protesters are standing peacefully, blocking Rustaveli Avenue, the capital’s main artery, waving Georgian and European flags and demanding that their EU aspirations be heard.
Yesterday, the parliament building stood empty and in darkness. Tonight, though, the riot police are shooting back from within the courtyard- firing pepper spray and jets of water over the barrier.
Like yesterday, there is no fear among the angry protesters as they face their uniformed countrymen; indeed, tactics have evolved, and those who let their anger get the better of them in egg throwing or swearing are warned by others to “keep it within the law.” There is also talk and a growing awareness of a number of “agent-provocateurs” placed within the crowds to instigate violence.
