15 June 2009, 19:00
Dozens of oppositionists beaten in Georgia at destruction of "city of cells"
Many oppositionists suffered during attack on the "city of cells". Earlier, Zviad Dzidziguri, leader of the Conservative Party, said that two persons suffered in the scuffle.
The attackers crushed and destroyed about 30 cells (cages) - embodiments of prison cells. According to opposition's idea, the "city of cells" was intended to symbolize transformation of Georgia into a police state.
According to earlier information, two oppositionists suffered, and the attack was not attributed to Georgia's Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA), as the Reuters reported without specifying the exact number of victims.
The "News-Georgia" reports that Nino Burdzhanadze, ex-speaker of the parliament of Georgia and leader of the Party "Democratic Movement - United Georgia", said that it was the third Monday's attempt to disperse the opposition's action in Tbilisi.
According to the headquarters of the opposition, in the morning, about 20 persons armed with truncheons rushed into the territory adjoining the State Chancellery and crushed down and destroyed about 30 cells-cages - improvised prison cells. By one o'clock in the afternoon, a group of about ten attackers returned to the territory of the action and tried to smash the cells; a clash with oppositionists burst out.
