Violent scenes unfolded in Tbilisi’s Vake district late on May 9 as police confronted and detained several protesters blocking traffic on Chavchavadze Avenue.
Protesters marched down the street following the controversial arrest of military blogger and activist Ucha Abashidze, after police searched his apartment in the same district for hours while the blogger was held incommunicado.
Videos of detentions show protesters, including women, being violently dragged into police cars. The number of detainees is yet to be confirmed.
The harsher response follows a press conference by the Interior Ministry from the day before, in which authorities showcased violent dispersals abroad and threatened a similarly harsh response to current protests against the foreign agents law.
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