If brutish local police were Georgia’s only threat, pro-European protesters might be on solid ground. Speaking to your columnist from Tbilisi, demonstrators described a city in a febrile, daring mood since the ruling Georgian Dream party,

Thousands protested outside of the Georgian parliament in Tbilisi for a fifth straight night after the government suspended plans to join the European Union.

Over the past five days, dozens of protesters and police have been hospitalized as anti-government protests engulf Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia. In scenes reminiscent of Ukraine’s 2014 uprising against a president accused of abandoning European integration in favor of closer ties to Russia,

The protests come amid a greater, global power struggle over the country’s place in the world order. The protesters — as well as the European Union and the United States — are pushing for a more democratic society that’s aligned with the West.

The confrontation between the pro-Russian government and the opposition in Georgia could further escalate following declarations by commanders of the "Caucasian Union" fighting on the side of Ukraine,