According to a journalist from Agence France Presse who was present at the scene, riot police fired rubber bullets, tear gas grenades and used water cannons, hitting protesters and reporters near the parliament building.
The protesters erected barricades which they then set ablaze.
According to the Georgian Interior Ministry, "43 people were detained by security forces for disobeying legitimate police orders and for acts of vandalism."
According to the ministry, 32 police officers were injured "following the unlawful and violent actions of the protesters."
Two members of the opposition Coalition for Change party, Elene Khochtaria and Nana Malachkhia, were injured during the clashes.
The demonstration denounced the government's decision, accused of pro-Russian authoritarianism, to suspend efforts to join the European Union until 2028.
A new demonstration is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. (3:00 p.m. in Lisbon).
Georgia, a former Soviet republic in the Caucasus, has been in turmoil since the October 26 legislative elections, which were won by the ruling Georgian Dream party.
The elections were condemned as fraudulent by the pro-Western opposition and by President Salome Zurabishvili.
No comments:
Post a Comment