TBILISI: Police in Georgia arrested several anti-government protesters on Sunday as thousands of demonstrators demanding new parliamentary elections briefly blocked a motorway on the edge of the capital Tbilisi.
A Reuters reporter saw three protesters being arrested, including Nika Melia, a leader of the country’s largest opposition party, the Coalition for Change.
Interfax news agency reported that Melia has since been released on bail after detention for an administrative offense.
“At the police station, I was sitting on a chair in handcuffs and was kicked by a police officer,” Interfax cited Melia as telling journalists afterwards.
Reuters could not independently verify the information.
There was no immediate comment from the police. Georgia’s Ministry Of Internal Affairs had said in a statement before the protest that the police would ensure the rally took place “in a peaceful environment, within the limits established by law.”
Former Tbilisi Mayor Giorgi Ugulava was also arrested, local media reported.
Georgians have been rallying nightly since November, when the ruling Georgian Dream party said it was suspending European Union accession talks until 2028, abruptly halting a long-standing national goal.
Georgian Dream held onto power in a disputed election in October that opposition parties say was rigged. The government says the vote was fair and free.
Protests had dwindled in recent weeks but they resumed with greater force on Sunday when thousands of people gathered outside a shopping complex on the northern edge of Tbilisi and briefly blocked the road leading out of the city. Police presence at the rally was considerable. Earlier on Sunday, the Interior Ministry warned protesters in a statement that blocking the motorway was a criminal offense.
One protester was seen by the side of the road, unconscious. Reuters was unable to establish what had happened to him.
Unverified video footage posted on social media showed scores of police in balaclavas beating protesters on the streets and others carrying away injured demonstrators into ambulances.
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Georgian police arrest opposition leaders at pro-EU protest
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Georgian police arrest opposition leaders at pro-EU protest
- Earlier on Sunday, the Interior Ministry warned protesters in a statement that blocking the motorway was a criminal offense
French TV broadcasts Louvre robbery images
- Video shows the brazen jewel thieves breaking into display cases
- Four suspects are in police custody over the October 19 heist
PARIS: Footage of the spectacular robbery at the Louvre Museum has been broadcast for the first time on French television, showing the brazen jewel thieves breaking into display cases.
The images, filmed by surveillance cameras, were shown by the TF1 and public France Televisions channels on Sunday evening, three months after the hugely embarrassing break-in in October.
They show the two burglars, one wearing a black balaclava and a yellow high-visibility jacket, the other dressed in black with a motorcycle helmet, as they force their way into the Apollo Gallery.
After breaking in through a reinforced window with high-powered disk cutters, they begin slicing into display cases under the eyes of several staff members who do not intervene.
Managers at the Louvre have stressed that staff are not trained to confront thieves and are asked to prioritize the evacuation of visitors.
The security failures highlighted by the break-in on a Sunday morning in broad daylight have cast a harsh spotlight on management of the institution and director Laurence des Cars.
Trade unions are pressing for more recruitment and better maintenance of the vast former royal palace, launching several days of strikes in recent months.
Another stoppage on Monday forced a full closure for the third time since December, leaving thousands of tourists disappointed outside again.
Four suspects are in police custody over the October 19 heist, including the two suspected thieves, but the eight stolen items of French crown jewels worth an estimated $102 million have not been found.
During the roughly four minutes that the two men were inside the gallery, one staff member can be seen holding a bollard used to orient visitors through the gallery, according to France Televisions.
The images, as well as multiple DNA samples found at the scene, form a key part of the ongoing criminal investigation into the robbery.
Details of the footage have been reported in French newspapers, including Le Parisien.
Metal bars have been installed over the windows of the Apollo Gallery since the break-in.
The images, filmed by surveillance cameras, were shown by the TF1 and public France Televisions channels on Sunday evening, three months after the hugely embarrassing break-in in October.
They show the two burglars, one wearing a black balaclava and a yellow high-visibility jacket, the other dressed in black with a motorcycle helmet, as they force their way into the Apollo Gallery.
After breaking in through a reinforced window with high-powered disk cutters, they begin slicing into display cases under the eyes of several staff members who do not intervene.
Managers at the Louvre have stressed that staff are not trained to confront thieves and are asked to prioritize the evacuation of visitors.
The security failures highlighted by the break-in on a Sunday morning in broad daylight have cast a harsh spotlight on management of the institution and director Laurence des Cars.
Trade unions are pressing for more recruitment and better maintenance of the vast former royal palace, launching several days of strikes in recent months.
Another stoppage on Monday forced a full closure for the third time since December, leaving thousands of tourists disappointed outside again.
Four suspects are in police custody over the October 19 heist, including the two suspected thieves, but the eight stolen items of French crown jewels worth an estimated $102 million have not been found.
During the roughly four minutes that the two men were inside the gallery, one staff member can be seen holding a bollard used to orient visitors through the gallery, according to France Televisions.
The images, as well as multiple DNA samples found at the scene, form a key part of the ongoing criminal investigation into the robbery.
Details of the footage have been reported in French newspapers, including Le Parisien.
Metal bars have been installed over the windows of the Apollo Gallery since the break-in.
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