Meanwhile, back in the other Georgia...

The Washington Times: President declares state of emergency

U.S.-allied President Mikhail Saakashvili declared a state of emergency yesterday in the capital of Georgia, where six days of demonstrations have fueled a worsening crisis.

Mr. Saakashvili has blamed Russia for fomenting the unrest in the former Soviet nation. His prime minister, Zurab Nogaideli, said in a televised statement that there had been an effort to overthrow the pro-Western government.

Putin's a dumbass. The age of czars and Party Chairmen is over.

“An attempt to conduct a coup was made, and we had to react to that,” Mr. Nogaideli said.
The emergency declaration “will temporarily ban demonstrations and protests and calls in the media for violence and the ouster of the government by force,” Mr. Nogaideli said.

He said the presidential decree would be submitted to parliament for approval in the next two days as required by the constitution.

Riot police earlier used tear gas and water cannons to break up demonstrations before bursting into the offices of a pro-opposition television station that went off the air moments later.

Georgia"s Imedi television station describes itself as independent but is seen as a key opposition mouthpiece by authorities. It has carried statements by opposition leaders and broadcast footage of police breaking up protests yesterday.

More than 100 people were hospitalized after police drove opposition demonstrators from two protests in the capital, Tbilisi. Police used nightsticks on some protesters and rubber bullets at one demonstration.