WATCH Pro-EU protesters use ‘fireworks mini-gun’ in Tbilisi

Pro-EU protesters used a makeshift ‘fireworks mini-gun’ against riot police in the Georgian capital, Tbilisi, on Saturday evening.

Large-scale protests erupted in the former Soviet country earlier this week after the ruling Georgian Dream party announced the freezing of negotiations to join the EU until 2028. Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has accused the bloc of using the accession talks to “blackmail” Georgia.

Protesters gathered for a fourth consecutive night to hold a rally outside the parliament building. While some remained peaceful, others launched fireworks at police and threw Molotov cocktails.

The government has accused opposition parties of attempting to stage riots and fomenting “systemic violence” on the streets. Georgia’s pro-EU president, Salome Zourabichvili, has described the protests as peaceful and accused the police of using excessive force. She claimed that the protesters were victims of “provocations” orchestrated by the government.