Massive Anti-Government Rally in Georgia Draws Thousands

Thousands of protesters rallied outside the Georgian parliament on Sunday in support of jailed former President Mikheil Saakashvili and against the ruling Georgian Dream party, which they accuse of being under the sway of Russia and backsliding on democracy. The government has been accused of jailing political opponents and silencing independent media. 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, but said Georgia must implement a number of political and judicial reforms before being given the status.