Chaos in Tbilisi: Protesters Seek to Storm Presidential Palace

Fri Oct 10 2025 22:29:58 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

Tensions escalate in Georgia as thousands of anti-government protesters attempt to breach the presidential palace during a major political crisis.

Police clashed with anti-government demonstrators in Tbilisi, Georgia, as they tried to storm the presidential palace. The protest, coinciding with local elections, was fueled by claims of a stolen parliamentary election victory by the ruling party. The opposition has called for the arrest of key government figures, further escalating the political crisis in the country.

Police in Georgia have clashed with anti-government protesters trying to storm the presidential palace in the capital, Tbilisi.

Security forces used water cannons and pepper spray to disperse demonstrators.

The Caucasus country has been in crisis since the ruling Georgian Dream party claimed victory in last year's parliamentary election, which the pro-European Union opposition says was stolen. Since then the government has paused talks on joining the EU.

The protest took place on the same day as local elections, which the opposition is largely boycotting following a government crackdown. One organiser called for leaders of the Georgian Dream party to be arrested.

Waving Georgian and EU flags, tens of thousands of protesters marched in central Tbilisi. One of the organisers, opera singer Paata Burchuladze, read out a declaration urging the employees of the ministry of internal affairs to obey the will of the people and to immediately arrest six senior figures from the Georgian Dream party.

Demonstrators then marched on the presidential palace and attempted to breach the compound, prompting riot police to deploy pepper spray.

This demonstration follows a crackdown on activists, independent media, and political opposition in recent months, with many leaders of the pro-Western opposition currently imprisoned.