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Protesters in Georgian capital, Tblisi, 6 May 2009 |
Opposition supporters have clashed with police in Georgia's capital, Tbilisi, in the latest incident in nearly a month of daily anti-government protests. Officers used batons to beat back stick-wielding protesters who tried to enter a police compound where three activists have been held after a scuffle Tuesday with a pro-government TV journalist.
News reports say police detained several activists and a number of protesters were injured. The opposition said its leader Levan Gachechiladze was among those injured, and his brother Georgi Gachechiladze was detained. But Interior Ministry spokesman Shota Utiashvili denied that the brother was detained.
The demonstrators are seeking to force President Mikheil Saakashvili from office. The president's critics have denounced Mr. Saakashvili for what they call undemocratic behavior and his 2008 handling of a five-day military conflict with Russia.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.