Police use force to stop Georgia protest

A state of emergency was declared in the Republic of Georgia Wednesday after protests by reformers got out of control in Tbilisi. In response to demonstrations calling for the ouster of pro-Western President, Mikhail Saakashvili, police used tear gas, rubber bullets, truncheons, and a water cannon to disperse the crowd in front of Parliament. News broadcasts were also shut down with the exception of state-controlled news.

Protest rallies have occurred in Tbilisi since last Friday, in which 50,000 people attended. The original goal of the protests was to change the electoral system as well as the dates in the planned elections. This goal turned to the resignation of Saakashvili after he refused the demands and accused the protest leaders of serving the Kremlin.

TBILISI, Georgia – Riot police used tear gas, rubber bullets and water cannon Wednesday to break up demonstrations calling for the ouster of President Mikhail Saakashvili. The pro-Western leader declared a state of emergency and banned all news broadcasts except state-controlled television.

Saakashvili, a U.S. ally who has tried to integrate Georgia with the West, also expelled three Russian diplomats and accused Moscow of fomenting the protests, which began last week. He now faces the worst political crisis of his four years in office in this former Soviet republic, where a low-level tug-of-war between Russia and the West is being played out.

There has been growing disillusion with Saakashvili among critics who say he has not moved fast enough to spread growing wealth. Opponents accuse him of sidestepping the rule of law, creating a system marked by violations of property rights, a muzzled media and political arrests.

Posted by grady