Protesters rally outside TV centre in Tbilisi, clashes in Batumi

TBILISI, May 21 (Itar-Tass) -- A rally of protest organised by the
opposition "People's Assembly of Georgia" took place outside the Georgian
Public Television centre in Tbilisi on Saturday.
According to reports as of 20:30, about 5,000 people gathered there.
Members of the movement's executive committee, including ex-speaker of
the parliament and current leader of the Democratic Movement -- United
Georgia Party Nino Burdzhanadze and the People's Assembly leader,
five-time world chess champion Nonna Gaprindashvili, demanded air time to
address the Georgian population.
At 20:05 and 20:15, the First Channel of Public TV twice showed the
rally live. The protesters stated they would not stop the peaceful action
until they achieved the goal - resignation of Georgian President Mikhail
Saakashvili and calling of early presidential and parliamentary elections.
The protesters came to the television centre from Freedom Square,
where, according to various reports, 10,000-15,000 people had gathered for
a meeting of protest. A similar protest action took place in Batumi, where
clashes between protesters and police were reported.
As was reported, 1,000-3,000 protesters gathered outside the local
television centre on Saturday evening and demanded air time. Receiving no
answer, some began to throw stones into windows of the building. Guards
and policemen who were on duty there tried to prevent such actions and
detain activists. According to the preliminary information, nobody was
hurt.
Rally organisers have already stated those who threw stones at the
Batumi TV building were not rally participants, but some other persons who
had no connection to the meeting.
Other opposition organisations did not participate in the
Assembly-organised rallies.
President Saakashvili left on Saturday on a four-day official visit to
Hungary, which was scheduled months ago.