Georgians risk serious injury and jail in fresh pro-EU protests

More than 300 people have been arrested since mass protests erupted in Georgia six nights ago, and an increasing number of s have emerged alleging violent attacks by police.

One man has told the BBC how he was repeatedly kicked in the head, even after he had been knocked unconscious. "When I opened my eyes a third time I couldn't feel my legs or hands - I couldn't even move my head," said Avandtil Kuchava, a 28-year-old businessman.

Demonstrations have continued every night since last Thursday, after ruling party Georgian Dream said it was halting the country's bid to start talks on ing the EU.

Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has accused opposition politicians of orchestrating the violence, blaming them for the injuries.

However, the force exercised by police has been described as torture and brutality by Georgia's human rights ombudsman, and it has drawn condemnation from United Nations rights chief Volker Türk, who said the use of "unnecessary or disproportionate force... is extremely worrying".

"Don't blame others," warned the US embassy in Tbilisi in a pointed message on social media directed at Kobakhidze's Georgian Dream government.

It reminded Georgians that it was the ruling party that had halted the EU process and then lost their strategic partnership with the US two days later.

Georgian Dream has been in power for 12 years and has introduced increasingly authoritarian laws on civil society, freedom of speech and LGBT.

For six nights running, tens of thousands of Georgians have taken to the streets, accusing the government of trying to destroy their path to a European future and take them back into Russia's sphere of influence.

Riot police in body armour have then sought to push them back with tear gas and water cannon.

Videos of protesters defying the police have gone viral.

One woman brandished a Georgian flag as she braved a stream of water cannon, while another walked headlong into a barricade of police standing behind riot shields.

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