Police in Georgia fired tear gas and water cannons on Sunday night on a fourth straight day of pro-EU protests that drew tens of thousands of people.
At least 44 people are in hospital as protests rage in the Georgian capital Tbilisi against the government's decision to suspend negotiations to join the European Union until The Georgian prime minister rebuffed calls for new elections and blamed 'foreign instructors' for the clashes.
Waving European and Georgian flags, tens of thousands rallied outside parliament on Sunday evening, according to reports. Some demonstrators tossed fireworks and stones at riot police, while others banged on the metal door blocking parliament's entrance. Police later fired water cannons, but were unable to disperse the crowds.
Late at night, riot police in full gear moved in, using tear gas and water cannon to disperse the rally. Nearby, priests offered shelter to some protesters inside a church. The Black Sea nation has been rocked by turmoil since the governing Georgian Dream party claimed victory in October 26 parliamentary polls - elections that the pro-European opposition said were fraudulent. While Georgian Dream rejects links to the Kremlin, critics accuse it of adopting a number of Russian-style laws targeting civil society groups who receive funding from abroad, as well as LGBT rights.
Fireworks explode in front of the Parliament building as protestors voice their discontent with the sitting government party Georgian Dream. A law enforcement officer fires a tear gas canister as fireworks explode behind him. Georgian opposition supporters protest, with the numbers believed to be in the tens of thousands. However, Georgia's prime minister Irakli Kobakhidze has accused 'foreign instructors' of instigating the violence that has consumed Tbilisi for the last four nights.
