Protesters stormed the parliament of the Russian-backed Georgian breakaway region of Abkhazia on Friday, and opposition politicians demanded the resignation of the self-styled president over an unpopular investment deal with Moscow.
Protesters used a truck to break down the metal gates surrounding parliament in the capital Sukhumi.
Video from the scene shows people climbing windows after ripping off metal bars and singing in the hallways.
Eshsou Kakalia, an opposition leader and former deputy attorney general, said the parliament building was under the control of protesters.
Protesters also stormed the presidential administration offices located in the same building as the parliament.
According to emergency services, at least eight people were taken to hospital.
The presidential administration said in a statement that authorities were preparing to withdraw the investment deal with Russia, but some citizens fear the decision will leave them out of the real estate market.
Russia recognized Abkhazia and another breakaway region, South Ossetia, as independent states in 2008 after Russian troops repelled a Georgian attempt to retake South Ossetia in a five-day war.
Much of the world understands Abkhazia as part of Georgia, from which it separated during wars in the early 1990s.
Russian money
Abkhazian lawmakers were set to vote this Friday (15) on the ratification of an investment agreement signed in October in Moscow by Russian Economy Minister Maxim Reshetnikov and his Abkhazian counterpart Kristina Ozgan.
Abkhazian opposition leaders say the deal with Moscow, which would allow investment projects by Russian legal entities, would drive residents out of the real estate market by allowing much more Russian money to flow in.
The opposition said in a statement that the protesters’ actions were not against Russian-Abkhazian relations.
“Abkhazian society had only one demand: to protect the interests of our citizens and our businesses, but neither the president nor the parliament have listened to the voice of the people to this day,” they cited in the statement.
Earlier this week, Abkhazia’s self-styled president, Aslan Bzhania, held an emergency meeting with the security council after protesters blocked a major highway and gathered in central Sukhumi to demand the release of four activists.
The militants, who were later released, were detained for opposing the approval of a law regulating the construction industry and making reference to the Russian-Abkhazian agreement.
In 2014, protesters stormed the presidential headquarters, forcing then-leader Alexander Ankvab to flee.
He later resigned due to accusations of corruption and mismanagement.
Opposition leader Raul Khadzhimba, elected following unrest in 2014, was forced to resign in 2020 after street protests questioned the election results.
This content was originally published in Video: Protesters invade parliament in Georgia, against agreement with Russia on the CNN Brasil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
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