Overview

• Prosecutors filed charges against five opposition figures for attempting to overthrow the government, offenses that carry maximum nine-year sentences.
• Large anti-government rallies in Tbilisi on local election day saw some protesters try to force entry into the presidential palace before riot police used tear gas and water cannon to disperse them.
• Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze accused protest organizers of an attempted seizure of power and said further arrests are forthcoming, stating that no participant would go unpunished.
• The State Security Service reported discovering firearms, ammunition and explosives in a forest near the capital, describing the cache as intended for subversive acts tied to the unrest.
• The European Union rejected claims of interference, defended its ambassador in Tbilisi and urged restraint by all sides.