Two die in Georgian protests

TBILISI, Georgia, May 26 (UPI) -- Two people were killed in a traffic accident after Georgian police used water cannons, tear gas and rubber bullets to break up an anti-government demonstration.

Another 37 people were injured in the clash involving several thousand anti-government demonstrators Thursday in the capital of Tbilisi, the Wall Street Journal reported.

Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili said in an RIA Novosti report Thursday said outside forces were behind the protests.

"These events were an attempt to bring about a scenario written outside Georgia," Saakashvili said.

The crackdown followed several days of smaller protests by Georgia's opposition parties and Thursday's incident escalated when several hundred demonstrators camped out in the city's main street overnight.

A police officer and a protester were killed when they were hit by a convoy of vehicles belonging to opposition leader Nino Burjanadze as they sped away from an impending clash with police.

"Let us swear that we shall not leave this place," Burjanadze told the crowd Thursday.

Burjanadze later accused the government of "crimes against humanity."