The prime minister of Georgia has dismissed criticism from Washington of the use of “excessive force” by the security forces and instead praised them for cracking down on demonstrators he claimed were acting on foreign orders.
Protesters rallied again on Sunday in Tblisi, the capital, for a fourth straight night and there were signs that opposition was spreading across the country to the government’s decision to suspend talks on joining the European Union. The Georgian news agency Interpress said that demonstrators had blocked an access road into the country’s main commercial port in the Black Sea city of Poti.
The protesters’ main demand is for new parliamentary elections. On Saturday there were violent clashes with police near the parliament building. More than 100 people were arrested. Police used water cannon and tear gas. In response, protesters hurled stones and used fireworks as improvised weapons. Fireworks have become a symbol of the protests. The demonstrators also built barricades and lit bonfires.
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