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Violent clashes between police and anti-government protestors in Georgia:

There have been violent clashes between riot police and anti-government protesters in the Georgian capital, Tblisi.

Several hundred opposition supporters blocked a main road and marched on the city’s main police compound, where the security forces had gathered.

Officers used batons to force back some who the Interior Ministry said were trying to scale the fence. Television footage showed several people walking away with blood on their faces.

The protestors were calling for the release of three activists arrested over the alleged beating of a journalist.

This is the first violent confrontations since anti-government demonstrations began in Tblisi early last month.

It also comes a day after the Georgian government claimed to have thwarted an army mutiny, and Georgia began military exercises with NATO.

Opposition Protesters in Violent Clashes with Georgia Police in Tbilisi

Dozens have been injured in the first violent clashes between protesters and police in a month in Georgia's capital overnight. Photo by BGNES

At least 29 people have been wounded when violence broke out between anti-government protesters and police forces in Tbilisi overnight.

Six of the wounded persons are policemen, according to the Georgian Interior Ministry, ITAR-TASS has reported.

The clashes occurred during a late-night opposition rally demanding the resignation of the Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili.

The police are reported to have used truncheons and rubber bullets in order to protect their headquarters as protesters tried to storm the building by climbing over its fence.

Georgian opposition say 23 hospitalized after clashes with police

Twenty three people injured in clashes between the police and opposition in Georgia are still in hospital, Georgia's opposition said on Thursday.

The opposition, who have been demonstrating in the capital for the past month, claim over 60 people, including six police officers, were injured in clashes at a police compound in Didi Digomi, a Tbilisi suburb on Wednesday night, 29 people were hospitalized.

"We are fighting for democracy, and we will not disperse until we see President Mikheil Saakashvili resign," said Nino Burdzhanadze, ex-parliamentary speaker, who heads the Democratic Movement-United Georgia.

Georgia frees 3 to defuse anti-government unrest

Riot police wearing heavy gear stand behind bars as they surround the Interior AP – Riot police wearing heavy gear stand behind bars as they surround the Interior Ministry in Tbilisi, Georgia

TBILISI, Georgia – Georgian authorities released three opposition protesters Thursday, trying to defuse a wave of unrest that erupted into violence when police clashed with demonstrators clamoring for the resignation of President Mikhail Saakashvili.

Weeks of peaceful protests turned ugly Wednesday, one day after Saakashvili was forced to back off claims that he had suppressed a Moscow-backed coup attempt.

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