Summary
Protests erupted in Georgia after the government suspended EU membership talks, sparking two nights of clashes with police in Tbilisi and Batumi.
Demonstrators accuse the ruling Georgian Dream party, linked to Russia, of election rigging and undermining democracy.
President Salome Zourabichvili joined protests, condemning police violence and the government’s stance. The EU had conditioned Georgia’s candidacy on reforms but suspended the process over anti-democratic laws.
Georgian PM Kobakhidze criticized EU “blackmail” and rejected grants until 2028, fueling accusations of authoritarianism and pro-Moscow policies. Tensions highlight Georgia’s volatile political trajectory.
Don’t get me wrong if they had those opinions and also posted other things, generally engaged with the community, was a part of it, I would be much more critical of a ban: It’d be shutting down conversation, as you say. But giving that kind of leeway to people who are doing, essentially, drive-by shootings effectively also shuts down conversation: People aren’t going to engage in earnest with that kind of thing, that thing being allowed would set precedence and sooner than later everyone’s on motorcycles taking strafes at each other. Can’t talk to people who aren’t willing to sit down for a beer, can’t talk to people who don’t engage in good faith, can’t talk to people who come barging in with a megaphone in hand. Paradox of tolerance, Nazi bar, and all that. It’s much less of a fickle balance than many (especially US) liberals assume.