Anti-government protesters and police have clashed in the Georgian capital, Tbilisi, amid rising national tensions.

反政府者和警察在格鲁吉亚首都第比利斯发生冲突，全国局势陷入紧张状态。

Anti-government protests have been held for a month in Tbilisi

Riot police（防暴警察） used batons¹（指挥棒，接力棒） on protesters trying to enter a police compound where three people were being held over the alleged²（被说成的，被指控的） beating of a local journalist.

The clashes were the first major unrest since anti-government demonstrations³ began in early April.

They come a day after the authorities said they had thwarted⁴（反对，阻碍） an army mutiny（兵变，叛乱） at a base outside the capital.

Later in the evening, opposition⁵ leaders（反对党领袖） and supporters gathered outside parliament for a rally, as they have daily since 9 April.

The BBC's Tom Esselemont in Tbilisi says attendance at the rallies has dwindled⁶（缩小，减少） but tensions in the city appear to be rising.

The protesters are calling for the resignation of President Mikhail Saakashvili over his leadership record and his handling of Georgia's war with Russia last summer.

Georgia is hosting a series of Nato training exercises which have angered Russia

'Small scuffle（混战）'

The latest clashes broke out after dark in a suburb（郊区） of Tbilisi after demonstrators, including opposition party leaders, surrounded the police station.

They were demanding the release of three opposition activists⁷ arrested over the alleged beating of a reporter for a public broadcaster on Tuesday.

Interior Ministry⁸ spokesman Shota Utiashvili said riot police used batons to force back protesters trying to break into the building and there had been "a small scuffle".

Mr Utiashvili denied accusations⁹ from protesters that police had used "excessive force", including firing rubber bullets into the crowds.

He said saying the police had acted "with the utmost（极限的，最远的） restraint".

Television footage（镜头） showed several injured protesters, including some with blood on their faces.

The opposition said dozens of their supporters were injured, while Deputy Interior Minister Eka Zguladze put the number at 22, with six police officers also wounded.

Later, several thousands protesters converged¹⁰（收敛，聚合） on parliament for further rallies.

"This president has dug his own grave," said opposition leader Nino Burjanadze.

"We'll be standing¹¹ and fighting till the very end."

Distraction¹²

On Tuesday, Mr Saakashvili claimed his government had put down a brief mutiny among a tank battalion¹³.

Tbilisi had said it was part of a Russia-linked coup¹⁴ attempt to kill Mr Saakashvili.

But opposition parties said the alleged mutiny was a deliberate（故意的，深思熟虑的） attempt by the government to distract attention from the new phase of anti-government protests.

The latest unrest comes as Georgia hosts a series of Nato training exercises amid angry condemnation¹⁵ from Russia.

They are taking place close to areas where Russian troops are stationed in Georgia's breakaway region of South Ossetia.

Russia's President Dmitry Medvedev said the drills, involving more than 1,000 soldiers from 18 countries, were "an overt¹⁶（公开的，明显的） provocation（激怒，刺激）".