Portraits of Ivanishvili and Putin were burned during a protest in Tbilisi.

Protesters in Tbilisi blocked Rustaveli Avenue for the 324th day in a row, despite warnings from the Ministry of Internal Affairs about tougher penalties for demonstrators. Journalist Afgan Sadygov burned portraits of Bidzina Ivanishvili and Vladimir Putin during the protest.

As reported by the "Caucasian Knot", on October 16, protesters in Tbilisi blocked traffic on Rustaveli Avenue for the 323rd day in a row. That same day, the ruling Georgian Dream party rushed amendments through parliament, tightening penalties for those participating in protests since October 17.

Supporters of Georgia's European integration, waving Georgian and EU flags, once again blocked traffic on Rustaveli Avenue outside the parliament building this evening, despite a warning from the Ministry of Internal Affairs about tougher penalties for protesters. The protest has now entered its 324th day, with participants voicing two unwavering demands: calling new parliamentary elections and releasing all political prisoners.

"New repressive laws have already come into force, so we must be on Rustaveli Avenue today in large numbers. Let's stand together today, until victory," InterPressNews quotes protesters as saying.

The Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs issued a warning to activists today, urging them to refrain from "artificially" blocking roads. Starting today, this action, like wearing a mask at a public event, carries a prison sentence of up to 15 days for demonstrators and up to 20 days for organizers.

"The Ministry of Internal Affairs will act within the framework of its legal mandate, identify all violators, and take appropriate measures against them," Novosti Gruziya quotes the Ministry of Internal Affairs as saying.

Activists themselves stretched ribbons across the roadway of Rustaveli Avenue to prevent cars from running over protesters. They insist they will continue to march daily in front of parliament, despite repressive laws, Pirveli TV reports.

Protesters in Georgia have been demanding new parliamentary elections and the release of political prisoners since November 28, 2024.. Security forces carried out violent dispersals of protests, using tear gas and water cannons, and detained protesters. During the protests, more than a thousand people were subjected to administrative prosecution. The "Caucasian Knot" has collected materials on the parliamentary elections and subsequent protests on the page "Elections in Georgia-2024".

On October 4, municipal elections were held in all municipalities of Georgia. Candidates from the ruling "Georgian Dream" were elected mayors in all 64 cities where elections were held, and in 26 of them they received 100% of the vote. These elections will determine the political balance in Georgia for the coming years. The next large-scale elections in the country are scheduled for 2028. This year, so the current vote is essentially a key one for both the government and the opposition, according to the "Caucasian Knot" report "Municipal Elections in Georgia on October 4, 2025".

"Caucasian Knot" is posting materials about the past municipal elections and protests by opposition supporters on the thematic page "Georgia: Elections Amid Protests".