Protests in Georgia have been ongoing for two weeks, with government officials joining the demonstrators (video).

Protest action at the Georgian Parliament has been ongoing for 14 days. Public sector employees have joined the demonstration outside the Parliament building in Georgia.

By doing so, they are expressing their stance regarding the current events in the country and protesting against the situation in the public sector. This was reported by "InterpressNews".

"There are two reasons for our gathering: one is the ongoing process in the country, the refusal of the application for membership until 2028. Secondly, it is a response to forms of intimidation. We are people engaged in public service, and the goal of our protest is to convey to the public, including those who represent our employers today, our voice that we remain loyal to the Constitution and society, committed to the European path. At the same time, we urge them to stop the violence against us and the use of various forms of intimidation, which have increased recently," said city hall employee Giga Sopromadze.

87 parliament members, whose legitimacy is not recognized by the president and the opposition, supported the bill "On Amendments to the Law on Public Service".

The main aim of these amendments is to simplify the reorganization process so that a public servant dismissed for any reason, including political ones, cannot return to the public service system or, at the very least, will face significant difficulties in doing so. An appeal in court by an individual dismissed due to reorganization will not suspend the decision.

Experts believe that these changes will, in fact, weaken the rights of public servants, and the "Georgian Dream" will use the laws as a punitive tool, especially after hundreds of public servants signed statements criticizing the government's decision to postpone Eurointegration until 2028 during pro-European demonstrations.

Protests in Georgia – what is known

In the parliamentary elections held at the end of October in Georgia, the pro-Russian party "Georgian Dream" took first place. According to official results, it received significantly more votes than the opposition parties. However, international observers noted that several violations occurred during the elections.

As a result, mass protests began in Georgia. Protesters are demanding new elections and the release of all political prisoners.

The Georgian authorities have been using the police almost daily to disperse the protests. Ukraine imposed sanctions against the Georgian authorities last week. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged Western countries to also impose restrictions.

Earlier, "Telegraph" showed exclusive footage from the protests in Georgia, which intensified following the government's announcement of its intention to halt negotiations with the EU regarding membership.