I'm standing for the future of this country, says Giorgi Arabuli, who has taken part in protests on the streets of Georgia's capital Tbilisi almost every night since they began a year ago.
Mass demonstrations were met with violent police crackdowns as tens of thousands of Georgians turned out, angered by Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze's decision on 28 November 2024 to call a four-year halt on moves towards joining the EU.
Since then, Georgians have seen a dismantling of democracy, in the words of governments across Europe, prompting accusations of Russian-style rule.
On the streets, the protests have evolved into a grinding war of attrition.
The Georgian Dream government has imposed massive fines for blocking roads and criminal charges on young protesters. A recent law allows for up to 14 days' imprisonment for the first offence of blocking traffic, with repeat offenders facing up to a year in jail.
The belief that Georgia's government serves Russian interests is widespread among pro-Europeans, who cite the ruling party's founder, Bidzina Ivanishvili, and legislation targeting civil society.
Despite the risks, several hundred protesters gather every night, asserting their connection to Georgia's European future. If Ukraine is forced to sign a capitulation agreement, it will be an absolute disaster for us, worries teacher Rusudan Lomidze, linking Georgia's fate with Ukraine's struggle.
Reflecting on her years as a diplomat working towards EU and NATO integration, Nata Koridze believes that all of that has crumbled, but insists, the protest embodies an idea. And ideas live through decades, through centuries.\
