Supporters of Georgia's European integration have been protesting outside parliament for 547 days straight.

Participants in a rally on Rustaveli Avenue in Tbilisi on the 547th day of continuous protests called for a fight against the Georgian Dream regime and supported demands for the purchase of medicine for children with Duchenne syndrome.

As "Caucasian Knot" reported, a mass march organized by the Opposition Alliance in Tbilisi on Georgia's Independence Day took place on May 26 under the slogan: "For victory, together, to the end!" The following day, May 27, protesters went to the Georgian Parliament with a call to defend the country's independence.

Protesters carrying Georgian and EU flags came out to the parliament building on Rustaveli Avenue this evening for the 547th consecutive evening.

Protesters held signs reading "The system must be destroyed," "The light must not go out! Until the end, until victory," and "Give medicine, not excuses," according to posts by Netgazeti and Publika on Facebook*.

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, from the Georgian Dream party, commented today on the opposition rally on Independence Day, May 26. He stated that only 5,000 people attended the opposition march on the holiday, calling the protesters "lost their way," according to the Pirveli television channel.

“This minority, this aggressive minority, ultimately fails to achieve results. (...) For us, the most important thing is that any citizen who is currently lost and who likes, for example, Gvaramia, Zurabishvili, Japaridze, or Vashadze, return to the right path and support the correct direction of the country's development. This is our main task. The weaker the radical opposition, the stronger the Georgian state,” Kobakhidze stated.

Parents of children suffering from Duchenne muscular dystrophy have been holding a round-the-clock protest in front of the government administration building for the 38th day. Participants held signs reading: “Duchenne kills, inaction equals death” and “Every day is precious, government inaction means a lost life.”

“No one has come to us, and no one has told us what’s going on, whether from the chancery, parliament, or the Ministry of Health, whether work on this issue is progressing. They should be focused on solving this problem and actively cooperating with pharmaceutical companies; they should, of course, work with us, the parents. Instead, we hear propaganda again and again, as if [children’s] needs have been met (...) Society has supported us, which is, of course, very good, and we are deeply grateful for it, but it hasn’t solved the problem... The fight continues,” they said at today’s briefing.

Protesters in Georgia have been demanding new parliamentary elections and the release of political prisoners since November 28, 2024. Security forces have violently dispersed the protests, using tear gas and water cannons, and have detained protesters. Thousands of people have been subjected to administrative prosecution during the protests. The "Caucasian Knot" has prepared a report entitled "The Main Thing About the Persecution of Protest Participants in Georgia".