TBILISI - Thousands of people gathered in Georgia’s capital Tbilisi on Nov 30 for a third night of protests against the government’s decision to postpone European Union membership talks until 2028.

The Black Sea nation has been rocked by turmoil since the ruling Georgian Dream party claimed victory in an Oct 26 parliamentary election that the pro-European opposition said was fraudulent.

Outside the parliament building in central Tbilisi, crowds of protesters chanted and waved EU and Georgian flags.

“My future depends on what Georgia will do right now,” 22-year-old protester Anna Kaulachvili told AFP.

More than 100 people were arrested during violent clashes between law enforcement and protesters the night before, with police firing a water cannon and tear gas at demonstrators.

Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze’s announcement on Nov 28 that Georgia would not seek accession talks with the EU until 2028 ignited a furious reaction from the opposition.

Critics accuse Georgian Dream - in power for more than a decade - of having steered the country away from the bloc in recent years and of moving closer to Russia, an accusation it denies.

Hundreds of public servants, including from the ministries of foreign affairs, defence and education, as well as a number of judges, issued joint statements protesting Mr Kobakhidze’s decision.

Some 160 Georgian diplomats c...