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Tens of thousands rally in Georgia for EU ahead of pivotal vote [Video]

Tens of thousands of Georgians on Sunday staged a pro-Europe rally, days before parliamentary elections seen as a crucial test for the country’s democracy and its bid for EU membership.

Saturday’s vote will pit an unprecedented alliance of pro-Western opposition forces against the ruling Georgian Dream party, accused by Brussels of shifting towards authoritarianism and derailing EU candidate Tbilisi from its European path.

Tens of thousands of demonstrators, waving EU and Georgian flags and holding banners that read “Georgia chooses the European Union” gathered at Tbilisi’s central Freedom Square after marching towards the venue from five different locations, AFP journalists on the scene reported.

The crowd sang the country’s national anthem and the Georgian lyrics to Europe’s “Ode to Joy”.

Pro-Western President Salome Zurabishvili — at loggerheads with the government — joined the rally, which she said “shows that Georgia has already won and will reintegrate with Europe”.

She also …

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