Police clash with protesters in Georgia over disputed election results
Al Jazeera
Scuffles broke out in Georgia’s capital as police broke up a camp set up in protest against the disputed results of last month’s parliamentary election.
Police moved in to remove the camp, which blocked a main thoroughfare in the capital, Tbilisi, before dawn on Tuesday. Thousands of people later returned to re-establish the camp.
The round-the-clock protest was spurred by the October 26 election that saw the governing Georgian Dream party remain in power. Opponents say the vote was rigged and suspect neighbouring Russia’s influence. Many Georgians viewed the election as a referendum on the country’s effort to join the European Union.
Several protesters were detained as police moved to disperse the camp, according to The Associated Press news agency. Some demonstrators displayed EU flags.
Up to 1,000 protesters remained at the site, and the crowd swelled to several thousand in the evening. Demonstrators again set up camp in the area.
