Georgia protest: Protestors storms into Parliament after demonstrations erupt against Russian investment agreement

Police fired tear gas on protesters on Friday as hundreds of demonstrators stormed into parliament in a protest against an investment agreement with Russia. Residents worry this deal could make property unaffordable.

Following a brief war in 2008 when Russian forces prevented Georgia from reclaiming South Ossetia and acknowledged both Abkhazia and South Ossetia as sovereign states, Reuters reported.

Whilst internationally recognised as Georgian territory, Abkhazia separated during conflicts in the early 1990s. The region, featuring Soviet-era coastal resorts along the Black Sea, has since received substantial Russian financial support.



On Friday, Abkhazian parliament members were scheduled to vote on ratifying an investment agreement, signed in Moscow last October between Russian Economy Minister Maxim Reshetnikov and Abkhazian counterpart Kristina Ozgan.

Opposition figures in Abkhazia argue that the Moscow agreement, permitting Russian legal entities to invest, would allow increased Russian capital inflow, potentially making property unaffordable for locals.

Footage showed large crowds entering the parliament courtyard. Brief altercations occurred, with unconfirmed videos showing apparent confrontations between protesters and riot police.

Local Telegram channels distributed footage showing demonstrators attempting to dismantle the metal gates using ropes.
Earlier this week, following highway blockades and central Sukhumi protests demanding the release of four activists, Aslan Bzhania, Abkhazia's de facto president, convened an urgent security council meeting.
The activists, later released, had been detained for opposing a construction industry law connected to the Russian-Abkhazian agreement.
In 2014, protesters occupied the presidential headquarters, compelling then-leader Alexander Ankvab to flee and subsequently resign amidst allegations of corruption and mismanagement.
Raul Khadzhimba, who became leader after the 2014 upheaval, was himself forced to resign in 2020 following street demonstrations over contested election results.