The streets of the Georgian capital Tbilisi descended into chaos on Friday as riot police armed with tear gas and rubber bullets clashed with protestors.
Furious demonstrations expressed their anger at the Georgian government’s decision to delay its bid for membership of the European Union.
The country’s prime minister, Irakli Kobakhidze, announced the decision as Georgia endures a political crisis following a recent election.
The Georgian government won a large majority in the vote, but the election has attracted controversy.
This week, the European Parliament passed a resolution saying that the election was neither free nor fair”, adding that it should be rerun.
Reported irregularities included pressure on citizens, alleged vote buying, and ballot stuffing.
Some in Georgia feel the election was rigged in order to ensure Georgia would stay within Russia’s sphere of influence.
Pro-Western President Salome Zourabichvili, whose six-year term expires next month, said: “Today marks a significant point, or rather, the conclusion of the constitutional coup that has been unfolding for several weeks.
“Today, this non-existent and illegitimate government declared war on its own people.”
Georgia’s Interior Ministry reported that “protesters physically confronted police” in Tbilisi, “resulting in injuries to three officers, two of whom have been hospitalised”.
It added: “To de-escalate the situation, the police have employed measures permitted by law, including the use of special means.”
The police’s efforts to quell the protests stretched into the early hours of the morning on Friday.
It has been alleged that officers assaulted protestors and journalists.
Protestors put up barricades and set them on fire.
Mikheil Kavelashvili is set to become the president of Georgia after the election.
He is known not only for his anti-West views, but also for his football career. He played for Manchester City Football Club in the 1995-96 season, scoring three goals in 28 appearances.
