Georgian police use tear gas to break up protest, make arrests

Police in the ex-Soviet state of Georgia used tear gas and stun grenades early on Wednesday in an attempt to break up a protest outside Parliament against a draft law on 'foreign agents'. Reuters eyewitnesses in the capital Tbilisi saw police with riot shields making arrests along Rustaveli Avenue, the main thoroughfare running through the centre of the city. Hours earlier police had clashed with demonstrators, some of whom threw petrol bombs and stones. The crowd then gathered outside parliament, where some people pulled aside light metal barriers designed to keep the public away from the building. In a statement, the interior ministry said there were injured on both sides after what it called an extremely violent protest, and said police would react to violations of the law. The protests erupted after legislators gave their initial backing to the law, which critics say represents an authoritarian shift and could hurt the country's bid to join the European Union.