Georgia protests spread as prime minister dismisses call for new elections

The unrest kicked into overdrive after the government last week announced it would freeze EU talks for four years, igniting widespread protests across Georgia.

Protesters have further condemned the police response which has included the use of tear gas and water cannon as excessive, calling for the government to respect their democratic rights.

President Salome Zurabishvili, who supports joining the EU, has asked the Constitutional Court to annul the election results, declaring the new legislature and government illegitimate.

Despite the government's rejection of calls for new elections, the opposition continues to criticize the legitimacy of the current parliamentary results, raising tensions in the country.

Read at www.aljazeera.com