Police Clearout Shuts Down Georgia's Pro-Opposition Media Station

November 7, 2007 2:49 p.m. EST

Tbilisi, Georgia (AHN) - A Georgian television channel, which authorities viewed as pro-opposition, went off air Wednesday after riot police entered its headquarters.

The Imedi station had televised statements from opposition leaders and aired live footages of authorities breaking up rallies throughout Wednesday, prompting police to shut the station down.

Imedi had its final broadcast Wednesday, ending it with the anchor's statement that riot police broke into its headquarters.

The anchor announced: "Riot police are here, something horrible is going on."

Imedi was recently sold by its founder, a dominant Georgian businessman, Badri Patarkatsishvili to Rupert Murdoch's Western Holding News Corporation;

Patarkatsishvili is a tough supporter of the opposition parties.

Meanwhile, a radio station owned by Imedi has also been taken off air.

Security forces in Georgia's capital city have fractured demonstrations from outside the parliament building following five days of protests, with hundreds of people reportedly injured, including journalists doing their coverage.