"Georgian riot police have deployed water cannon, pepper spray and tear gas to disperse protesters who tried to storm the presidential palace in Tbilisi during municipal elections. The clashes took place on Saturday after opposition groups, who had boycotted the vote, called for a peaceful revolution against the governing Georgian Dream (GD) party, accusing it of authoritarianism and adopting pro-Russia policies."
"Thousands of people gathered in Freedom Square and Rustaveli Avenue waving Georgian and EU flags in what organisers said was a show of defiance against GD. Some later barricaded nearby streets, lit fires and clashed with riot police. In the evening, a group of demonstrators moved towards the palace and attempted to break through the fence, according to witnesses. The Ministry of Internal Affairs later declared the rally unlawful, saying it had exceeded the norms set by law."
"The governing GD, which announced it had won control in every municipality across the country of 3.7 million, rejected accusations of vote-rigging. The party, founded by billionaire and former Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili, denies being pro-Moscow. It says it seeks EU membership while maintaining stability with Russia. Georgia, once seen as one of the most pro-Western states to emerge after the Soviet Union's coll"
Riot police used water cannon, pepper spray and tear gas to disperse protesters who tried to storm the presidential palace in Tbilisi during municipal elections. Opposition groups boycotted the vote and called for a peaceful revolution against the governing Georgian Dream (GD), accusing it of authoritarianism and pro-Russia policies. Thousands gathered in Freedom Square and Rustaveli Avenue waving Georgian and EU flags; some later barricaded streets, set fires and clashed with police. Demonstrators attempted to break through the palace fence. The Ministry of Internal Affairs declared the rally unlawful and police pushed protesters back. The GD rejected vote-rigging accusations and says it seeks EU membership while maintaining stability with Russia.
Read at www.aljazeera.com
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