Police Use Tear Gas at Pro-European Protests in Georgia

tbilisi - Georgian police deployed a water cannon and tear gas at new pro-European protests in the capital Tbilisi. Demonstrators carrying Georgian and European flags threw fireworks.

The police attempted to disperse protesters at the parliament in Tbilisi. Demonstrations have been ongoing in the capital for days against the government's decision to freeze accession negotiations with the EU. On Tuesday, protesters projected a message on the parliament thanking their supporters for their endurance. Authorities state that hundreds of arrests have been made during the series of protests.

The predominantly young protesters fear growing Russian influence in their country. Tensions in Georgia, located between Turkey and Russia, had already escalated after the parliamentary elections in October. According to the official results, the ruling party Georgian Dream won. The pro-Western opposition and the president do not recognize the results, alleging fraud. Concerns about this have been raised in the West as well. The European Parliament believes that the elections should be rerun.