Georgian police move to disperse large protest in Tbilisi

MOSCOW – Police in riot gear in the country of Georgia pushed thousands of demonstrators away from the parliament building Monday on the second day of sizeable protests in the Georgian capital over the failure of promised election reforms.

Officers in black helmets and riot shields advanced down Rustaveli Prospekt, Tbilisi’s main avenue, while other police jostled with demonstrators who were blocking the parliament building’s entrance.

Police used water cannon to disperse the protesters. The Interior Ministry said that four protesters and two police officers were hurt in the melee, and 37 people were detained.

The protests Monday were sparked by last week’s vote in parliament against a proposed change to the country’s electoral system to ensure that all seats in the legislature are assigned by proportional representation, instead of around half.

The change had been promised by the governing Georgian Dream party in the wake of massive demonstrations in June.