TBILISI, November 29. /TASS/. A staff member of the Georgian Interior Ministry was injured at an anti-government rally near the parliamentary building in Tbilisi, the agency said in a statement.

"Despite numerous appeals made by the law enforcement officers to the participants of the rally, that their protest should not go beyond the frames defined by the law on freedom of assembly and expression, some of the gathered confronted the law enforcement officers and insulted them verbally, damaged exterior building lightings and other equipment, and set fire to electrical wiring. Unidentified objects are thrown to the direction of the policemen, as a result of which one policeman was injured," the statement reads.

The ministry urges the protesters "to refrain from illegal actions and follow the instructions of the law enforcement officers." "Otherwise, the Ministry of Internal Affairs will act within the framework of its mandate defined by law and will use the measures provided by the legislation of Georgia," it concluded.

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze said on Thursday that the ruling Georgian Dream — Democratic Georgia party had decided to postpone any talk about launching EU accession negotiations until late 2028 and decline any funding from the European Union. According to the premier, the decision comes after repeated attempts by the EU to blackmail Georgia with promises of launching the talks in exchange for Tbilisi revoking certain laws passed by the country’s parliament.

Kobakhidze’s statement was followed by protests in downtown Tbilisi. A rally in front of the parliamentary building grew into clashes with the police who used water cannons and tear gas to disperse the protesters.