More than 10,000 protesters gathered to demand that Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili step down after talks between the administration and the opposition broke down today, according to dpa. "We are prepared to meet with Saakashvili, but we're not going to wait for that like a handout," former parliamentary president Nino Burdzhanadze, cited by the Interfax news agency. Opposition leaders have accused the pro-Western president of ruling in an increasingly autocratic style. European Union representatives in the area said they stand prepared to mediate in the dispute. Regular protests began on April 9, with opposition leaders saying Saakashvili must step down in order to avoid a political crisis. Saakashvili's popularity has declined steadily since the country's war with Russia last August, a conflict which opposition leaders say was brought on by the president. More than 30 protesters were injured in clashes with police last week.
