TBILISI, Georgia (AP) — Opposition protesters in Georgia’s breakaway province of Abkhazia on Sunday refused to cede control of key government buildings seized during rallies earlier in the week during which at least 14 people were injured in clashes with police.
Demonstrators stormed the buildings Friday to protest new measures allowing Russians to buy property in the seaside region.
Protesters on Sunday continued to demand the ouster of self-styled Abkhazian President Aslan Bzhania, and one prominent politician vowed that the opposition would form a rival government if he refuses to step down.
“If our demands for the president’s resignation are not met, we will have to form a temporary government to ensure the normal functioning of state bodies,” Temur Gulia told his supporters, according to local agencies.
Bzhania, who is backed by Russia, signaled Sunday that he was prepared to step aside temporarily and hold early elections, even as he continued to slam the demonstrations as “an attempted coup d’etat.”
Opponents of the property agreement say it will drive up prices of apartments and boost Moscow’s dominance in the region.
On Saturday, Bzhania announced that he would only agree to a snap election if demonstrators vacated the region’s parliament building. But crowds that gathered in the Abkhazian capital, Sukhumi, rejected the deal and opposition leaders said they would only accept Bzhania’s unconditional resignation.
Meanwhile, protesters on Sunday began dismantling the security barriers around the government complex in Sukhumi.
One prominent opposition figure called the metal barriers a symbol of the authorities being out of touch.
“This barrier shows that the government has decided to fence itself off from its people,” Adgur Ardzinba said, according to local media.
Most of Abkhazia broke away from Georgia in fighting that ended in 1993, and Georgia lost control of the rest of the territory in the short war with Russia in 2008. Russia recognizes Abkhazia as an independent country, but many Abkhazians are concerned that the region of about 245,000 people is a client state of Moscow.
Abkhazia’s mountains and Black Sea beaches make it a popular destination for Russian tourists and the demand for holiday homes could be strong.
At least 14 people were injured Friday when opposition protesters clashed with police, Russian state agencies reported.
Lawmakers had gathered at the region’s parliament building to discuss ratifying measures allowing Russian citizens to buy property in the breakaway state. However, the session was postponed as demonstrators broke down the gate to the building’s grounds with a truck and streamed inside. Some threw rocks at police, who responded with tear gas.
The arrest of five opposition figures at a similar demonstration Monday set off widespread protests the next day in which bridges leading to Sukhumi were blocked.
Protesters block the bridge over the Gumista River, about 5,5 kilometres south of Sukhumi in the Georgian separatist region of Abkhazia, Georgia, Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024. (AP Photo)
In this photo taken from video released by AIASHARA Independent Agency, Protesters gather outside the parliament building of the Georgian separatist region of Abkhazia as tensions flared over a proposed pact that would allow Russians to buy apartments in the region, Georgia, on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, (AIASHARA Independent Agency via AP)
In this photo taken from video released by AIASHARA Independent Agency, Protesters with Abkhazian flags gather outside the parliament building of the Georgian separatist region of Abkhazia as tensions flared over a proposed pact that would allow Russians to buy apartments in the region, Georgia, on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, (AIASHARA Independent Agency via AP)
In this photo taken from video released by AIASHARA Independent Agency, Protesters, two of them hold an Abkhazian and Russian flags, gather outside the parliament building of the Georgian separatist region of Abkhazia as tensions flared over a proposed pact that would allow Russians to buy apartments in the region, Georgia, on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, (AIASHARA Independent Agency via AP)
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Cooper Rush's eighth career start filling in for Dak Prescott as quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys will be his first trying to bounce back immediately from a poor performance in a loss.
Rush won his first four starts in 2022 as the backup to the franchise QB sidelined at the time by a broken thumb, then threw three interceptions in a loss at Philadelphia prior to Prescott's return.
Now, Prescott is out for the season with a torn hamstring, and Rush is coming off an anemic passing performance as the Cowboys play host to AFC South-leading Houston (6-4) on Monday night.
Dallas (3-6) is on a four-game losing streak and 0-4 at home, fading fast in the NFC East as a defending division champion with a three-year playoff streak. The visit from the Texans will come five days after Prescott's season-ending surgery.
“We’ll be thinking about him, but as for us, we got to go out there and compete for him as if he is there, as far as competitive spirit and leadership and everything,” 2023 All-Pro receiver CeeDee Lamb said. “We got to step up and then (do) the things that we expect out of ourselves."
A lot of it will start with Rush, whose 45 yards passing in last week's 34-6 loss to the Eagles were the fewest for a Dallas starting quarterback since Matt Cassel had 37 before getting benched in a 19-16 loss to the New York Jets late in another lost season in 2015.
The third blowout loss at home this season for the Cowboys was the first game since Prescott injured his hamstring in a 27-21 loss at Atlanta.
“I think Cooper has to get us in and out of the runs and passes and get us into the flow of the game,” coach Mike McCarthy said. “You have to distribute the ball 53, 54, 55 times a game to your perimeter playmakers whether you’re handing it off or throwing it. We have to get back to that functionality on offense.”
Rush took a shot to the head when he dropped a snap and lost a fumble inside his 20-yard line, a miscue that gave Philadelphia a 7-0 lead in the first quarter.
The undrafted 31-year-old in his eighth NFL season has always been unflappable, but might have been a bit rattled by the unforced error as he finished 13 of 23 with a paltry average of 1.96 yards per attempt.
“Obviously, I was frustrated by it,” Rush said. “It was spotting them that field position. It was frustrating, but the next drive we did go right down the field. Think we ran it really well that drive and did get points so I was happy to see us bounce back that way.”
Rush has lost his past two starts — both against the Eagles — after winning the first five, including one in 2021 when Prescott had a strained calf.
The Cowboys succeeded with Rush in 2022 because he protected the ball, going without an interception while throwing for an average of 194 yards during the four consecutive victories.
That was also one of three consecutive seasons in which Dallas finished with a turnover margin of at least plus-10.
The Cowboys are at minus-10, which is 29th in the NFL, and have committed five turnovers in each of the past two home games. Rush didn't throw an interception against the Eagles but lost two fumbles.
“We’ve got a lot of faith in Cooper,” McCarthy said. “Everybody believes in him. How can you not based off of how he has performed? That fumble and the recovery attempt was off to a rough start, and I just felt like he never got into a rhythm.”
Two of Rush's five touchdown passes in his five-game stint two years ago were to Lamb, but that was before Lamb's breakout 2023 season.
His career highs of 135 catches, an NFL best, for 1,749 yards and 12 touchdowns led to a long holdout that ended with Lamb signing a $136 million, four-year extension in August.
Now any hope of a recovery that would keep Dallas' fading playoff hopes alive rests with getting the Rush-Lamb combination going.
“I take full responsibility in getting in sync with him,” Lamb said. “Obviously we’re going to ride this thing out for the rest of the season. I have the most confidence in him. I don’t care what happened last week.”
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Dallas Cowboys quarterback Cooper Rush (10) prepares to throw a pass to CeeDee Lamb, left, in the first half of an NFL football game against the Philadelphia Eagles in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Cooper Rush responds to questions during a news conference after the team's NFL football game against the Philadelphia Eagles in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Jeffrey McWhorter)
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Cooper Rush (10) recovers from fumbling the ball as the Philadelphia Eagles celebrate recovering the fumble in the first half of an NFL football game in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Jeffrey McWhorter)
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Cooper Rush (10) throws a pass in the first half of an NFL football game against the Philadelphia Eagles in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Jeffrey McWhorter)
