
11-08-07 Riot Police Violently Disperse Peaceful Protesters in the capital of Georgia, Saakashvili Shuts TV Stations, Then Declares Emergency Rule. Health Ministry of Georgia reported that 508 people had sought emergency assistance and some 118 of them remained hospitalized Tens of thousands of people in Tbilisi are protesting against the government of Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili, who came to power following demonstrations that swept aside his predecessor in 2003. Opposition leaders also accuse the government of blocking roads around Tbilisi to prevent more people from joining the protest. Political tensions in Georgia escalated following accusations of corruption and anti-state activities against President Saakashvili by his former defense minister, Irakli Okruashvili, who was jailed in 2008. Riot police in the Georgian capital Tbilisi beat demonstrators and shot fleeing protestors with rubber bullets while trying to disperse anti-government demonstrations, Human Rights Watch said today. Riot police later raided the private television station, Imedi TV and forced it and the Kavkasia television station to stop broadcasting. The Georgian government then declared a state of emergency and banned news broadcasts for 15 days, except by the state-funded Georgian Public Television. Even in a time of crisis, Georgians have a right to protest peacefully without being beaten by the police, said Holly Cartner, Europe and Central Asia director at Human Rights Watch. Firing <b>...</b>
Georgian
Opposition
Marks
Anniversary
of
Brutaly
Dispersed
Protests
Saakashvili
Shuts
TV
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Declares
Emergency
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Tbilisi
Irakli
Okruashvili
Imedi
Holly
Cartner
Europe
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Central
Asia
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at
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Rights
Watch
ombudsman
Sozar
Subari
Bush
Rice
Cheney
mccain
Joe
Biden
Russophobe
Georgia's
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Minister
Zurab
Zhvaniya
Dictator
Saddam
Hussein
EU
Report
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