Georgian police on Wednesday raided the offices of an opposition party and arrested its leader in an apparent attempt to squelch a wave of mass protests triggered by the governing party’s decision to suspend negotiations on joining the European Union.

Local media in Georgia reported that police carried out raids targeting the offices of several opposition groups and non-governmental organizations.

Nika Gvaramia, 48, a leader from one of four opposition groups, was carried by his arms and legs by police from his party HQ in a side street next to parliament in the capital Tbilisi. Other leaders were later ambushed after they met at a hotel and decided to push for a general strike.

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze on Tuesday agreed to hold talks with two former ministers and an opposition party on the country's European course, after days of increasingly tense protests by opposition supporters.

Police in the Georgian capital have again moved to disperse thousands of demonstrators after over 200 people were detained during four previous nights of protests against the government’s decision to

Georgia's rights ombudsman on Tuesday accused police of torturing pro-European Union protesters rallying for six consecutive days against the government's decision to shelve EU accession talks amid a post-election crisis.