Georgian police announced this Saturday that they had arrested 48 people during the night’s pro-EU demonstrations, which were once again dispersed with water cannons and tear gas.
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Georgia has been shaken for more than a week by a protest movement against the government, accused by the opposition of distancing this Caucasian country from its ambition to join the EU and of having rigged the legislative elections of 26 october.
During nine nights of protestsmost dispersed by force, police and protesters faced each other in front of Parliament in Tbilisi and other cities across the country. During the night from Friday to Saturday, “ law enforcement arrested 48 people for disobeying lawful police orders and vandalism », Said the Ministry of the Interior in a press release.
341 demonstrators arrested since the start of the movement
The police dispersed the crowd after “ the actions of some participants in the demonstration took on a violent character », Protesters having insulted police officers and throwing stones at them, according to the same source. A police officer was injured by fireworks, the ministry said.
Riot police used water cannons and tear gas as crowds retreated within meters of the parliament building.
The crowd was smaller on Friday than in previous nights, after the police arrested several opposition leaders and people accused by the authorities of having “ organized the violence » during rallies in Tbilisi.
According to the authorities, a total of 341 demonstrators have been arrested since the start of the movement. Nearly 150 police officers were injured.
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