Georgia's Tbilisi Erupts in Protest Amid EU Accession Crisis

Thousands protested in Tbilisi against the Georgian government's decision to halt EU talks, accusing the administration of drifting towards Russia. Demonstrators clashed with riot police, resulting in hundreds of arrests. International criticism mounts as EU and U.S. suspend ties, urging an investigation into election legitimacy.

Thousands of demonstrators gathered in Tbilisi, Georgia's capital, on Saturday evening. Building barricades, breaking windows, and setting off fireworks outside the parliament, they protested against the government's decision to halt talks with the EU.

Riot police responded with water cannons and tear gas. Protesters burned an effigy of Georgia's richest man, Bidzina Ivanishvili, a sign of increasing discontent with the ruling party, accused of rigging recent elections.

The protest reflects a broader crisis. The government claims the opposition plots a revolution. As international criticism grows, both the EU and the U.S. have suspended strategic ties, urging an investigation into the election's legitimacy.

(With inputs from agencies.)