Protesters in separatist Georgian region occupy government buildings, call for leader's ouster

Tbilisi, Georgia — 

Opposition protesters successful Georgia's breakaway state of Abkhazia connected Sunday refused to cede power of cardinal authorities buildings seized during rallies earlier successful the week during which astatine slightest 14 radical were injured successful clashes with police.

Demonstrators stormed the buildings Friday to protestation caller measures allowing Russians to bargain spot successful the seaside region.

Protesters connected Sunday continued to request the ouster of self-styled Abkhazian President Aslan Bzhania, and 1 salient person vowed that the absorption would signifier a rival authorities if helium refuses to measurement down.

"If our demands for the president's resignation are not met, we volition person to signifier a impermanent authorities to guarantee the mean functioning of authorities bodies," Temur Gulia told his supporters, according to section agencies.

Bzhania, who is backed by Russia, signaled Sunday that helium was prepared to measurement speech temporarily and clasp aboriginal elections, adjacent arsenic helium continued to slam the demonstrations arsenic "an attempted coup d'etat."

Opponents of the spot statement accidental it volition thrust up prices of apartments and boost Moscow's dominance successful the region.

On Saturday, Bzhania announced that helium would lone hold to a drawback predetermination if demonstrators vacated the region's parliament building. But crowds that gathered successful the Abkhazian capital, Sukhumi, rejected the woody and absorption leaders said they would lone judge Bzhania's unconditional resignation.

Meanwhile, protesters connected Sunday began dismantling the information barriers astir the authorities analyzable successful Sukhumi.

One salient absorption fig called the metallic barriers a awesome of the authorities being retired of touch.

"This obstruction shows that the authorities has decided to obstruction itself disconnected from its people," Adgur Ardzinba said, according to section media.

Most of Abkhazia broke distant from Georgia successful warring that ended successful 1993, and Georgia mislaid power of the remainder of the territory successful the abbreviated warfare with Russia successful 2008. Russia recognizes Abkhazia arsenic an autarkic country, but galore Abkhazians are acrophobic that the portion of astir 245,000 radical is simply a lawsuit authorities of Moscow.

Abkhazia's mountains and Black Sea beaches marque it a fashionable destination for Russian tourists and the request for vacation homes could beryllium strong.

At slightest 14 radical were injured Friday erstwhile absorption protesters clashed with police, Russian authorities agencies reported.

Lawmakers had gathered astatine the region's parliament gathering to sermon ratifying measures allowing Russian citizens to bargain spot successful the breakaway state. However, the league was postponed arsenic demonstrators broke down the gross to the building's grounds with a motortruck and streamed inside. Some threw rocks astatine police, who responded with teardrop gas.

The apprehension of 5 absorption figures astatine a akin objection Monday acceptable disconnected wide protests the adjacent time successful which bridges starring to Sukhumi were blocked.