Georgia, which has been criticized for using "excessive force" to crack down on anti-government protests, has become increasingly authoritarian, according to Western governments.

Georgia detained 107 people in the capital city of Tbilisi overnight during a protest against the government's decision to halt European Union accession talks, the country's interior ministry reported on Saturday.

Georgian media reported protests in at least eight cities and towns. Opposition TV channel Formula showed footage of people in Khashuri, a town of 20,000 in central Georgia, throwing eggs at the local Georgian Dream office and tearing down the party's flag.