Riot police, tear gas and smoke grenades: this is what the streets of the capital of Georgia — a South Caucasus republic at the crossroads of Europe and Asia — look like on the sixth consecutive day of mass protests.

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.

Protesters gathered across Georgia on Saturday night in a third straight night of demonstrations against the government’s decision to suspend negotiations to join the European Union.