The U.S. has officially suspended the Strategic Partneship with Georgia after their government’s decision to stop accession talks with the European Union.

Thousands of people have taken to the streets of Tbilisi, with some shouting “traitors”, after Georgia suspended discussion on its bid to join the EU for four years.

Critics of Georgian Dream, the ruling party since 2012, say they have tried to move Georgia away from the EU and closer to Russia.

Mathew Miller, the U.S. State Department Spokesperson, slammed the “excessive use of force” by the police, who deployed tear gas and made heavy use of water cannons, with more than 100 arrests made.

And said he would suspend the US-Georgia Strategic Partnership, signed in January 2009, which established four bilateral working groups on democracy, defense and security; economic, trade and energy issues; and people-to-people and cultural exchanges.

In a statement, Miller said: “The decision by Georgian Dream to suspend Georgia’s EU accession process goes against the promise to the Georgian people enshrined in their constitution to pursue full integration into the European Union and NATO. By suspending Georgia’s EU accession process, Georgian Dream has rejected the opportunity for closer ties with Europe and made Georgia more vulnerable to the Kremlin.

“The Georgian people overwhelmingly support integration with Europe. The United States condemns the excessive use of force by police against Georgians seeking to exercise their rights to assembly and expression, including their freedom to peacefully protest. We call on all sides to ensure protests remain peaceful.

“Georgian Dream’s various anti-democratic actions have violated the core tenets of our U.S.-Georgia Strategic Partnership, which was based on shared values and commitments to democracy, rule of law, civil society, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, and anti-corruption efforts. As a result, the United States has suspended this mechanism.

“We reiterate our call to the Georgian government to return to its Euro-Atlantic path, transparently investigate all parliamentary election irregularities, and repeal anti-democratic laws that limit freedoms of assembly and expression.”

Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze thanked police, saying they had “defended Georgia’s constitutional order and safeguarded the nation’s sovereignty.

Over 100 diplomats and civil servants in Georgia signed an open letter saying the government’s decision did not align with Georgia’s strategic interests.

Kobakhidze ‘s move came hours after he was reappointed to the job by members of the governing Georgian Dream party after its disputed victory in last month’s parliamentary election that led to an opposition boycott of parliament.

European election observers said the balloting took place in a divisive atmosphere marked by instances of bribery, double voting and physical violence.

On Thursday, Kobakhidze said that while the country will pursue its bid to join the EU, “it will not put the issue of opening negotiations with the European Union on the agenda until the end of 2028.”

“Additionally, we are rejecting any budgetary grants from the European Union until the end of 2028,” he added.

Thousands of protesters poured into the streets following Kobakhidze’s announcement, rallying outside the parliament building in Tbilisi and staging demonstrations in other cities.

Earlier in the day, the European Parliament adopted a resolution that condemned last month’s Georgian parliamentary vote as neither free nor fair, representing yet another manifestation of the continued democratic backsliding “for which the ruling Georgian Dream party is fully responsible.”