Clashes broke out on April 21 in Georgia’s northeastern Pankisi Gorge region between police and residents protesting the construction of a hydropower plant.
The protesters threw stones at police, who used tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse them.
A local TV station showed several residents with minor injuries from rubber bullets and said some police officers were also hurt.
The situation is reported to remain tense.
Interior Minister Giorgi Gakharia, who arrived in Pankisi following the clashes, said 15 officers had been injured in the clashes.
The residents of Pankisi oppose the construction of the Khadori-3 hydropower plant, saying it could harm the environment in the mountainous region and force them to leave their homes.
Construction work -- originally launched in March 2018 -- was restarted recently amid a promise by the government to address people’s concerns.
Local activists say construction of the plant must be halted.
Several protests have previously been held in the region against the hydropower project.
