Georgian Protesters Mark 500 Days of Rallies with Easter March to Parliament

Protesters in Tbilisi marked the 500th consecutive day of anti-government demonstrations on Saturday, April 11, with a massive march to the Georgian parliament ahead of Orthodox Easter services.

Gathering initially at the city’s Philharmonic building, participants marched through the capital carrying Georgian and EU flags. The milestone event culminated at the parliament building, where demonstrators joined an ongoing sit-in to reiterate demands for new parliamentary elections and the release of what they term “prisoners of conscience.”

“For the second year in a row, citizens involved in the protest are celebrating Easter with candles in their hands on Rustaveli [Avenue],” TV station Pirveli reported, adding “more than 40 political prisoners are marking Easter in prison.”

Following the rally, the crowd moved to the Kashveti Cathedral for Easter services, maintaining their call for democratic reforms. The protest movement, which began on Nov. 28, 2024, was ignited by the government’s pivot away from Euro-Atlantic integration and the introduction of “foreign agent” laws modeled after Russian legislation.

The major endurance of the rallies comes amid a significant consolidation of the opposition. In March, nine pro-Western parties formed a unified alliance to challenge the rule of billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili’s Georgian Dream party, which has overseen a violent crackdown on dissent involving tear gas, water cannons, and thousands of administrative arrests.

Other Topics of Interest

Serbia to Reintroduce Mandatory Military Service by Next March

Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić has announced the reinstatement of a mandatory 75-day military service for men under 30, starting in March.

International pressure on the Georgian government has also intensified. While the EU recently held back on sanctioning the Kulevi oil terminal following “positive commitments” from Tbilisi to stop handling Russian crude, rights advocates have criticized the government for the recent deportation of independent Azerbaijani journalist Afgan Sadigov.

As the 500-day mark passes, the opposition continues to frame the struggle as a “democratic alternative” to an increasingly autocratic regime. For many in Tbilisi, the Easter vigil served as a symbolic reminder of a protracted political crisis that has left the country’s EU membership bid effectively on hold.