Georgia
Georgia police arrest two opposition leaders at protest
Georgian police arrested two opposition leaders during a street protest against the ruling party on Sunday, a moved quickly denounced by the European Union, which condemned Tbilisi’s “brutal crackdown”.
The Black Sea nation has been rocked by daily mass protests since the Georgian Dream party claimed victory in October parliamentary elections rejected by the opposition as falsified.
Its critics accuse the government of democratic backsliding and of moving Tbilisi closer to Russia.
Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze’s announcement on November 28 that his cabinet would not pursue the opening of European Union membership talks with Brussels until 2028 further fuelled the demonstrations.
On Sunday, police detained the leader of the liberal pro-European Akhali party, Nika Melia, and former Tbilisi mayor Gigi Ugulava, a prominent opposition figure, an AFP reporter saw.
The arrests — condemned by the EU’s top diplomat — were made as thousands of demonstrators attempted to block a highway entrance to the capital, Tbilisi.
Melia told journalists that a senior police official had kicked him while in the police station.
Melia’s lawyer said that the politician was “arrested on an administrative offence charge” and released from custody shortly after midnight after signing a written promise to appear in court.
Both Melia and Ugulava had spent years in prison under Georgian Dream’s rule on charges that rights groups have denounced as politically motivated.
Several other people were also detained during the protest, with at least one appearing to have been injured.
The independent TV station Pirveli aired footage showing police brutally beating detained protesters.
– ‘Democracy on the line’ –
Late on Sunday, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas blasted the arrests.
“The brutal crackdown on peaceful protesters, journalists and politicians tonight in Tbilisi is unacceptable,” Kallas wrote on X.
“Georgia falls short of any expectation from a candidate country. The EU stands with the people of Georgia in their fight for freedom and democracy,” she added.
Georgia’s rights ombudsman, Levan Ioseliani, warned in a statement of “instances of mistreatment and excessive use of force by the police against citizens, journalists, and politicians”.
At the protest itself, 22-year-old university student Kote Baramia, told AFP: “All this police violence just proves the government is scared.
“Georgians will not back down, our democracy is on the line.”
The head of the Tbilisi police special task department, Zviad Kharazishvili — sanctioned by Britain and the United States for human rights violations — was heard hurling obscenities at demonstrators.
Demonstrators marched for kilometres towards the parliament building, the site of their daily protests, blocking traffic along Tbilisi’s main avenue.
Before the rally, the interior ministry issued a statement warning demonstrators that blocking the highway “is a criminal offence punishable by up to four years in prison”.
In the first wave of protests that began in late November, riot police used tear gas and water cannon to disperse the crowds, arresting more than 400 demonstrators, according to the interior ministry.
Ioseliani — Georgia’s top human-rights official — and Amnesty International have accused police of torturing those arrested.
– Unprecedented crisis –
Georgian rights activists have denounced what they say is a mounting campaign of intimidation, beatings and arrests against those taking to the streets.
Tbilisi’s security forces and judiciary have faced persistent accusations of repression against the ruling party’s opponents.
The Georgian Dream government faces growing international isolation and mounting claims of democratic backsliding.
On Monday, Brussels suspended visa-free travel to the EU for Georgian diplomats and officials. It cited the adoption of several repressive laws and the “violent repression by Georgian authorities against peaceful protesters, politicians, and independent media”.
Last year, the United States and several European countries imposed sanctions on Georgian officials, pointing to the Tbilisi government’s drift toward Russia and its violent crackdown on protesters and dissent following the disputed election.
Besides the largest anti-government protest movement in its history, Georgia is also grappling with an unprecedented constitutional crisis, as the opposition refuses to enter the newly elected parliament.
Pro-Western President Salome Zurabishvili has declared both the legislature and the government illegitimate.
Her successor — ruling party loyalist and far-right politician Mikheil Kavelashvili — was inaugurated on December 29 following a controversial election procedure, but Zurabishvili has insisted that she remains the legitimate leader.
bur-im/sbk
Georgia
No. 3 Georgia to Host Top-Ranked Auburn for Regular Season Finale – University of Georgia Athletics
Georgia fell at Auburn 14-6 to wrap up the fall slate of their season. The overall record against the Tigers currently stands at 31-31, including a 13-7 record in Bishop.
During their National Championship run in the 2024-25 season, the Mane Dawgs faced off against Auburn on three separate occasions. Georgia was victorious at home, 11-9, before falling on the road, 11-8. In the quarterfinals of the NCEA National Championships in Ocala, the Bulldogs stunned the second-ranked Tigers, 13-4, en route to their eighth National Championship title.
Georgia returns to action following a trip to Blythewood, South Carolina, to take on the third-ranked Gamecocks.
Top-ranked Auburn travels to Bishop after hosting No. 4 SMU at home the prior weekend. The Tigers defeated the Mustangs 13-7 and swept all four MOP honors.
Following the conclusion of the meet, Georgia will honor their seven seniors for their dedication and contributions to the program.
The meet will be streamed on SECN+ at https://gado.gs/e7v, and live scoring will be available at https://gado.gs/e7w.
HOW TO FOLLOW GEORGIA EQUESTRIAN: For complete information on Georgia equestrian, follow the team on its social media channels via @UGAEquestrian on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
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Georgia
Georgia OC Mike Bobo gets giant pay raise, salary matches DC Glenn Schumann
Georgia offensive coordinator Mike Bobo and defensive coordinator Glenn Schumann will be paid equally in 2026 after receiving raises, according to an Athens Banner-Herald report.
Coach Kirby Smart’s Bulldogs are coming off a second consecutive SEC championship season and College Football Playoff Sugar Bowl quarterfinal appearance.
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Georgia
Georgia Lt. Gov. announces bill inspired by Charlie Kirk to protect student speech
Georgia Lt. Gov. Burt Jones on Monday unveiled legislation inspired by the late conservative activist Charlie Kirk that he says would expand students’ free speech rights in public schools, making Georgia the first state in the nation to pursue such a measure.
Jones announced the “True Patriotism and Universal Student Access Act,” known as the TPUSA Act, on Monday as a priority for the 2026 legislative session. The proposal, sponsored by State Sen. Ben Watson (R–Savannah), would strengthen First Amendment protections for public school students by safeguarding their right to speak, organize, and express political and religious views on campus.
The bill is explicitly shaped around the work and legacy of Charlie Kirk, the founder of the conservative advocacy group Turning Point USA and its political arm, Turning Point Action. Jones and others have framed the legislation as a way to honor Kirk’s efforts to mobilize young conservatives and defend free speech in schools and on college campuses.
“In the spirit and memory of Charlie’s work, the TPUSA Act in Georgia would ensure that students’ First Amendment rights to organize, gather and speak are protected, regardless of their religious, political, or social viewpoints,” Jones said in a press release. “Georgia is leading the way as the first state in the nation to do it.”
Jones, who is running for governor and is endorsed by both former President Donald Trump and Turning Point Action, also emphasized his broader commitment to free speech rights as part of his campaign rhetoric.
“Georgia is building on the work of Charlie Kirk to ensure students can speak, organize and express their beliefs freely,” Jones posted on social media.
The TPUSA Act would require public schools in Georgia to permit political expression before, during and after the school day to the same extent that non-political expression is allowed. It also would let students form political clubs and groups during non-instructional time, bar discrimination against groups based on viewpoint, and guarantee that students could wear politically themed clothing and accessories under the same standards that apply to other permitted attire.
Supporters say the legislation would ensure that school administrators cannot block students from engaging in peaceful political activities and that all viewpoints, partisan and nonpartisan, would have equal access to meeting spaces and facilities.
Sen. Watson said the move reflects the belief that schools should not restrict students’ free speech or prohibit them from organizing around their beliefs.
“School officials should not have the power to enforce their own ideologies on students,” he said.
Josh Thifault, senior director at Turning Point Action, praised Georgia’s effort, asserting that Kirk “lived and died for the First Amendment.” He added that the legislation will benefit students “for decades to come” by removing barriers to student expression.
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