Fireworks in increasingly darkening Georgian skies
For much of the world, fireworks symbolise joy and celebration, but in Georgia, these fiery displays have become a symbol of resistance against the country's eroding democracy. Tensions have flared between demonstrators and authorities ever since the government announced a suspension of EU accession talks until 2028, signalling a U-turn from its Western aspirations. As fears grow that their government may align with the Kremlin, protesters in the streets are turning to fireworks to voice their defiance.
While the crackdown on the protests has intensified, by day, the police raid opposition headquarters and apartments of civil society activists. By night, the protesters and journalists are facing pepper spray, tear gas, and water cannons, in addition to the freezing weather and brutal beatings from the special forces. Amid the growing violence, on social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok, videos of Georgians using fireworks as tools of resistance against heavily armed special forces have gone viral.
For the supporters of the increasingly authoritarian ruling Georgian Dream party, fireworks embody opposition politicians' desperate attempts to plunge the country into the choice, leveraging the youngsters' vandalism and unrest. Georgian Dream-appointed prime minister Irakli Kobakhidze fueled the narrative by accusing the opposition of supplying the rallies with fireworks. On the other hand, demonstrators firmly deny any political party's influence over their protests.
In Georgia, use and sales of any kind of pyrotechnics are widely accessible, and often purchased by minors, due to the lack of lawful regulations. The interest skyrockets especially around New Year. According to the official figures provided by the Geostat, in the winters of 2022-2023, around $6,000,000 (€5,669,100) worth of pyrotechnics was imported into Georgia.
Civil society activists have long been advocating the ban on pyrotechnics due to safety concerns regarding human, animal, and environmental safety. In 2023, the organisation Animal Project petitioned the parliament to regulate the pyrotechnics use on a legislative basis, but their efforts were unsuccessful. Surprisingly, on the morning of 3 December, pyrotechnics warehouses were locked without legal notice, while policemen started to regularly appear around the metro stations searching the demonstrators to confiscate the fireworks.