Georgian police have raided the offices of an opposition party and arrested its leader in an apparent attempt to squelch a wave of mass protests over the decision to suspend negotiations on joining the European Union.

Georgia’s premier ruled out holding talks with the opposition after four nights of violent clashes in the capital helped propel the lari to a two-year low against the dollar.

For the second evening in a row, large crowds of demonstrators gathered in Georgia to protest the government's decision to halt talks toward joining the European Union. Tens of thousands gathered in the capital Tbilisi and other observers confirmed that there were significantly more demonstrators on the streets than on Thursday evening.