Opposition-led protesters in Georgia's Moscow-backed breakaway region of Abkhazia stormed the gates of the local parliament in Sukhumi, the regional capital, on November 15 in an attempt to force lawmakers to drop a controversial deal with Moscow that gives preferential treatment to Russian property developers.
According to local media reports, an attempt to ratify the agreement failed as the protesters outside surged forward.
But that did not stop the crowd, which was said to be pushing the legislature to vote on dropping the deal completely and demanding Abkhaz leader Aslan Bzhania's exit.
"The confrontation is growing, and there is a risk of it turning into bloodshed," Nuzhnaya Gazeta wrote on its Telegram channel.
Local media said police and hundreds of protesters clashed with security forces, who allegedly used tear gas to disperse the crowd.
There were no initial reports of arrests or injuries. But local agency Apsnypress later cited Abkhaz breakaway authorities as saying that seven people had been treated briefly for injuries and another remained under medical supervision. RFE/RL could not confirm that report.
SEE ALSO: Abkhazia Opposition Activists Released Amid ProtestsBzhania's press service subsequently said his administration is preparing a document on the withdrawal from parliament of the draft law. But protesters said they do not intend to withdraw before Bzhania resigns.
Tensions have been running high in the region in recent weeks, with opposition activists demanding an end to Russia's dominance over the region and its economy, though opposition parties on November 15 said their protest is not against Russia.
"The actions of the protesters are not directed against relations between Russia and Abkhazia," they said in a joint statement. "In fact, we, the opposition, have always emphasized the importance of fraternal and strategic ties between our countries."
They said their anger was directed at Bzhania, whom they accused of using relations with Moscow "for his own selfish gain during his entire rule."
Russia's Foreign Ministry posted a statement in which spokeswoman Maria Zakharova accused the Abkhaz opposition of exceeding legal means and "provoking an escalation."
She said Russia was not interfering and expected the situation "will be resolved exclusively by peaceful political means."
Zakharova recommended that any Russian citizens in Abkhazia leave "if possible" and that others refrain from traveling there.
Abkhazia and South Ossetia broke away from Georgia's rule after the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s.
Moscow recognized the independence of the two regions after Russian forces repelled a Georgian attempt to retake South Ossetia in a five-day war in the summer of 2008, which ended with Georgia's defeat.
Most countries still recognize Abkhazia as part of Georgia, but its economy is almost entirely dependent on Moscow, which pays the salaries of public administrators as well as social payments to residents.