Georgian demonstrators clashed with police in the capital city of Tbilisi on October 12, with events ending with the arresting of eight people, according to Democracy & Freedom Watch (DFWatch). Protestors had gathered to criticise the Tbilisi city council's decision to hand over two strategic plots of land in the city to former prime minister and billionaire businessman Bidzina Ivanishvili.

The city council resolution, passed earlier this month, had caused controversy because of the way in which the voting was conducted, which included forcefully removing councillors from an opposition party from the meeting. In the end, a business owned by Ivanishvili was allowed to purchase two plots of land measuring 1,900 and 4,700 square metres respectively and located on a hilltop that oversees the city and in the city centre for the symbolic price of GEL1 (€0.34).

On October 10, some 300 opposition party members and civil activists tried to participate in a city council meeting, which are theoretically open to the public, but were prevented from doing so by iron bars and law enforcement. When they attempted to break through the police cordon eight were arrested.

The opposition United National Movement (UNM) party plans on holding another rally on October 14.

Ivanishvili was only prime minister for less than a year in 2013, but he is believed to still have the upper hand in Georgian politics. The founder of the current ruling party and a pro-business - and pro-Russia - industrialist, the billionaire real estate mogul has been accused of espousing a culture of opaqueness in politics.