Scuffles broke out in Georgia’s capital as police broke up a camp set up in protest against the disputed results of last month’s parliamentary election.Police moved in to remove the camp, which blocked a main thoroughfare in the capital, Tbilisi, before dawn on Tuesday. Thousands of people later returned to re-establish the camp.
The round-the-clock protest was spurred by the October 26 election that saw the governing Georgian Dream party remain in power. Opponents say the vote was rigged and suspect neighbouring Russia’s influence. Many Georgians viewed the election as a referendum on the country’s effort to join the European Union.
Several protesters were detained as police moved to disperse the camp, according to The Associated Press news agency. Some demonstrators displayed EU flags.
Up to 1,000 protesters remained at the site, and the crowd swelled to several thousand in the evening. Demonstrators again set up camp in the area.
Elene Khoshtaria, leader of Coalition for Change, which unites several opposition parties, said the demonstrations would continue.
“There was absolutely no reason for dispersal, but it will not stop our resistance. It’s their mistake, their weakness, and they will pay the price for it. We will continue to resist as long as it takes,” she said.
President Salome Zourabichvili, who has rejected the official results, filed a lawsuit on Tuesday at the constitutional court, arguing that two fundamental principles guaranteed by the constitution – the secrecy of the vot …
