Riot police in Georgia used pepper spray and water cannon against protesters who turned out on the streets of Tbilisi after the government suspended moves to join the European Union.

Forty-three people were arrested at the demonstrations in the capital on Thursday night, the government said.

Crowds turned out after Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze said his government would drop its pursuit of EU membership “until the end of 2028”- a move criticised by more than 100 diplomats on Friday as “unconstitutional”.

Kobakhidze had accused the bloc of “blackmail” after EU legislators called for last month’s parliamentary elections in Georgia to be re-run. They cited “significant irregularities”.

Since 2012, Georgia has been governed by Georgian Dream, a party which critics say has tried to move the country away from the EU and closer to Russia.

The party claimed victory in last month’s election but opposition MPs are boycotting the new parliament, alleging fraud, while the country’s President Salome Zurabishvili, has called the one-party parliament “unconstitutional”.

On Thursday, the European Parliament backed a resolution describing the election as the latest stage in Georgia’s “worsening democratic crisis” and saying that the ruling party was “fully responsible”.

It expressed particular concern about reports of voter intimidation, vote buying and manipulation, and harassment of observers.

The European Parliament also urged sanctions against Georgia’s Prime Minister and other high-level officials including the billionaire founder of the governing party Bidzina Ivanishvili.

Following the resolution, Georgia’s Prime Minister said his government had “decided not to bring up the issue of joining the European Union on the agenda until the end of 2028”.

He said Georgia would still seek EU membership but with “dignity” and on its own terms.

Kobakhidze also lashed out at European politicians for “hurling a cascade of insults” at the Georgian government.

In response, thousands of pro-EU protesters demonstrated outside Georgian Dream offices in the cities of Tbilisi and Kutaisi.

Protesters see the government’s U-turn as a betrayal of a national aspiration. The goal of European integration is enshrined in Georgia’s constitution.

Police started dispersing the rally at 02:00 local time Friday (22:00 GMT Thursday), using batons, tear gas and water cannons after demonstrators barricaded some streets in Tbilisi.

The protested lasted until 06:00 local time, but further demonstrations are expected later on Friday.

Georgia’s interior ministry said protesters resorted to provocations on many occasions, damaging infrastructure and “badly injuring” 32 police officers.

The precise number of injured protesters is unknown, but a member of the opposition group Coalition for Change said one if its members, Nana Malashkhia, had their nose broken.

“During the crackdown, we took shelter in a pharmacy, but the special forces stormed in after us. If it was not for the presence of the media, they might have beaten us to death,” Giorgi Butikashvili told the BBC.

Footage on social media also showed a journalist from the opposition Formula TV station being severely beaten by the police.

Other media representatives wearing clearly marked press labels were also targeted.

On Friday, the EU’s ambassador to Georgia called the government’s suspension sad and heartbreaking.

Pawel Herczynski said it contradicted the policy of previous governments and the wishes of the vast majority of the population. Public polling has shown more than 80% of Georgians see their country’s future as being part of the European Union.

“Georgian Dream didn’t win the elections. It staged a coup,” 20-year-old Shota Sabashvili told AFP news agency.

“There is no legitimate parliament or government in Georgia. We will not let this self-proclaimed prime minister destroy our European future.”

Ana, a student, said Georgian Dream was “going against Georgian people’s will and want to drag us back to USSR”

“That will never happen because Georgian people will never let this happen,” she told the Associated Press.

Georgia has had official EU candidate status since 2023. However Brussels had already halted the accession process earlier this year over a Russia-style law targeting organisations accused of “pursuing the interests of a foreign power”.

Kobakhidze said Georgia would continue to implement the reforms required for accession and that it still planned to join by 2030, but added that it was “crucial for the EU to respect our national interests and traditional values”.

Former Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili told the BBC the country was at an “unprecedented” turning point.

“Since we were independent 30 years ago, we were clearly pro-Western, we were clearly pro-Nato and clearly pro-EU and this was uniting any government that was in place.”

But now, he added, there was an effort “by the bunch of people who are controlling power in Tbilisi and the Kremlin to basically bring Georgia as fast as this is possible to Russian orbit”.

Adding to the criticism, more than 100 serving diplomats issued an open letter on Friday calling the Georgian government’s move to freeze European Union accession talks unconstitutional.

Georgia’s ambassador to Bulgaria also resigned in protest. Otar Berdzenishvili said he had over a two-decade career worked extensiely on progressing Georgia’s EU integration.

“Our tireless efforts must not be shaken or compromised under any circumstances. No, violence against the free will of peaceful protesters, full solidarity with them.”