Police in Georgia move again to disperse protests

Police in Georgia's capital have again moved to disperse thousands of demonstrators after more than 200 people were detained during four previous nights of protests against the government's decision to suspend negotiations to join the European Union.

Police used water cannons and tear gas on Monday to drive protesters away from the parliament building in Tbilisi where they have gathered each night since Thursday when the ruling Georgian Dream party declared its decision to put EU accession talks on hold.

Georgian Dream's disputed victory in the country's October 26 parliamentary election, widely seen as a referendum on Georgia's aspirations to join the EU, has sparked mass demonstrations and the opposition boycott of the parliament.

The opposition and the country's pro-Western president have accused the governing party of rigging the vote with Moscow's help.

Georgia's interior ministry said on Monday that 224 protesters were detained on administrative charges and three arrested on criminal charges.

So far, 113 police officers needed medical treatment while three others were hospitalised after clashes with protesters, who hurled fireworks at police.

President Salome Zourabichvili said many of the arrested protesters had head injuries, including broken bones and eye sockets.

Zourabichvili, who plays a largely ceremonial role, has rejected official election results and refused to recognise the parliament's legitimacy.

She has declared she will stay on the job even after her six-year term ends later in December to spearhead the demands for a new parliamentary election.

The president of the European Council, Antonio Costa, and foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas spoke to Zourabichvili on Sunday to condemn the violence against protesters and to note "the actions of the government run counter to the will of the people".

Kallas and EU enlargement commissioner Marta Kos also reiterated the EU's "serious concerns about the continuous democratic backsliding of the country".

They urged Georgian authorities to "respect the right to freedom of assembly and freedom of expression" and not use force against protesters.

Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze of Georgian Dream has warned the protesters and opposition politicians that "any violation of the law will be met with the full rigour of the law".

Kobakhidze said the government remained committed to the goal of European integration, claiming "the only thing we have rejected is the shameful and offensive blackmail".

The government's announcement of the EU accession talks' suspension came hours after the European Parliament adopted a resolution criticising October's election in Georgia as neither free nor fair.

The EU granted Georgia candidate status in December 2023 on condition it meet the bloc's recommendations but put its accession on hold and cut financial support earlier in 2024 after the passage of a "foreign influence" law widely seen as a blow to democratic freedoms.

Georgian Dream has increasingly adopted repressive laws mirroring those in Russia that crack down on freedom of speech and curtail LGBTQI rights.

Speaking to The Associated Press on Saturday, Zourabichvili said her country was becoming a "quasi-Russian" state and that Georgian Dream controlled the major institutions.

"We are not demanding a revolution. We are asking for new elections, but in conditions that will ensure that the will of the people will not be misrepresented or stolen again," Zourabichvili said.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov alleged parallels between protests in Georgia and massive demonstrations in Ukraine that led to the ouster of a Moscow friendly leader in 2014.

He accused outside forces of trying to "destabilise the situation" and insisted Russia was not interfering in Georgia.