TBILISI, Georgia — In the breakaway region of Abkhazia, opposition protesters have firmly retained control over significant government buildings that they stormed in response to new policies permitting Russians to purchase property there.

Abkhazian President Aslan Bzhania declared over the weekend that he would resign and call for early elections if the demonstrators cleared the parliament building. However, the crowds that assembled in the capital, Sukhumi, dismissed this proposition. Opposition leaders insisted they would only comply with Bzhania’s outright resignation.

“None of us have come here for the sake of seats in parliament,” stated former Abkhazian Prime Minister Valery Bganba during a livestreamed speech aimed at attendees. “We came here to save our people, our country.”

According to reports from Russian state news outlet RIA Novosti, at least 14 individuals sustained injuries during clashes between protesters and police on Friday.

Lawmakers had convened at the parliament to deliberate on measures that would ratify property purchases by Russian citizens in the self-proclaimed state. However, the session was interrupted when protesters breached the gates of the parliamentary premises using a truck, leading to a surge of demonstrators inside the building. Some participants hurled rocks at law enforcement, who retaliated with tear gas.

Abkhazia has been largely autonomous from Georgia since a conflict concluded in 1993, and Georgia lost the remaining parts of the territory during a brief war with Russia in 2008. While Russia recognizes Abkhazia as a sovereign nation, many residents harbor concerns that the region, home to approximately 245,000 individuals, is operating as a subordinate to Moscow.

Opponents of the new property measures argue that such agreements will inflate housing prices and elevate Russian influence in the area. The region’s picturesque mountains and Black Sea coastline make it an attractive site for Russian tourists, likely boosting demand for second homes.

The protests gained momentum following the arrest of five opposition leaders during a demonstration on Monday. This incident precipitated widespread protests the subsequent day, during which protesters blocked various bridges leading into Sukhumi.