Police and hundreds of demonstrators clashed Friday in Georgia's separatist region of Abkhazia as tensions flared over a proposed measure that would allow Russians to buy property there. The protesters gathered outside parliament in the regional capital of Sukhumi, where lawmakers were to consider ratifying an agreement that would allow Russians to buy apartments in Abkhazia, whose mountains and Black Sea beaches are popular with Russian tourists. 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.

Protesters opposing a measure allowing Russians to buy property in the Georgian territory of Abkhazia stormed the separatist republic’s parliament building and clashed with police.