TBILISI, Georgia — Tens of thousands of Georgians rallied outside parliament on Monday evening, demanding the annulment of the weekend parliamentary elections which the president claimed was rigged with Russian help.

The rally highlighted tensions in the country that sits between Russia and Turkey and where the ruling Georgian Dream party has become increasingly authoritarian and pro-Moscow. However, it ended peacefully after a few hours and there were no clear plans for further action.

“You have not lost the election,” President Salome Zourabichvili told demonstrators waving Georgian and European Union flags. “They stole your vote and tried to steal your future, but no one has the right to do that and you won’t let anyone do that!”

Zourabichvili, a largely ceremonial president, told the crowd he would defend the country’s path to Europe against the actions of the Georgian Dream.

“We have no alternative and nothing else we want to leave this country for generations to come,” she said.

Giorgi Vashadze, leader of the Unity National Movement coalition, said the opposition would not take part in any talks with the government and would push for a new vote under international supervision.

“We will not enter this parliament. We refuse all mandates,” he said. “We will not enter into negotiations. We will fight to victory and we promise you, we will definitely win together.”

Zourabichvili told the crowd “a full picture must be made of how this massive and systematic theft of votes took place”, adding that it was “an unprecedented, pre-planned operation that robbed us of our votes, parliament and constitution our”. She did not provide specific details or present evidence of Russia’s involvement in the vote-stealing.

Protester Natia Chachava, draped in a Georgian flag, said the demonstrators “don’t want Russia, we don’t want to go back to Russia or back to the Soviet Union.”

Student Lana Togonidze, 20, said she hoped the West “will see that the Georgian people are not with this government, we hope they will not recognize these elections as legitimate and will not validate this government.”

“Unfortunately, I don’t have high hopes,” said Andro Dadiani, speaking about whether the protests could bring about change, but added that he felt he had to fulfill his civic duties and participate.

Zourabichvili, who rejected the official results, previously told The Associated Press that Georgia fell victim to Russian pressure against EU membership.

“I saw that Russian propaganda was used directly,” said Zourabichvili, a fierce critic of the Georgian Dream. She said the government “worked hand-in-hand with Russia” and “probably” received help from Moscow’s security services.

The US and European Union have called for full investigations into the outcome of Saturday’s election.

“Georgians, like all Europeans, must be masters of their own destiny,” said EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

The Central Election Commission said Georgian Dream received 54.8 percent of the vote, with almost all ballots counted. The party — established by Bidzina Ivanishvili, a shadow billionaire who made his fortune in Russia — passed laws similar to those used by the Kremlin to crack down freedom of expression and LGBTQ+ rights.

The protest is the only way Georgians can “express that their votes were stolen, that their future was stolen,” Zourabichvili told the AP.

She said she hoped the US and EU would support the demonstrations.

“We must have the firm support of our European partners, our American partners,” Zourabichvili said, adding that it was in the interest of “a strong Europe” to be present in the Caucasus and for the region to be stable.

Asked if she wanted sanctions imposed on Georgian officials, Zourabichvili told the AP that it was up to Western leaders, but that “it is certainly not the time to renew relations with authorities that are not legitimate at this time.”

US officials have called on Georgia to repeal authoritarian legislation, address electoral deficiencies and steer Georgia towards Europe.

State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said the Georgia election was “constructed by the policies of the ruling party, including the misuse of public resources, vote-buying and voter intimidation.”

He said the US had consistently urged the Georgian government to “retract” its anti-democratic actions and said “we do not rule out other consequences”.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called for a full investigation into all reports of election-related violations, as did EU Commission spokeswoman Nabila Massrali, who said the Georgian Dream campaign was “directly inspired” by Russian propaganda and that there are “unprecedented levels of disinformation”. “

The Kremlin has denied allegations of meddling.

“We do not interfere in Georgia’s internal affairs and have no intention of interfering,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. He countered that the West tried to influence the vote.

Asked about Zourabichvili’s call for Georgians to join the protests, he described it as an attempt to destabilize the country.

Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili, a member of Georgian Dream, accused the president of creating “a coup scenario” that is “against the constitutional order and democratic elections”.

The EU has suspended Georgia’s membership application process indefinitely because of Russian style “law of foreign influence” passed in June. Many Georgians saw Saturday’s vote as a key referendum on whether to join the EU.

The election campaign in the nation of 3.7 million people, which borders Russia, has been marked by a fierce battle for votes and allegations of a smear campaign. European observers said the election took place in a “divisive” environment, marked by intimidation and cases of vote-buying, double voting and physical violence.

During the campaign, Georgian Dream used “anti-Western and hostile rhetoric … promoted Russian disinformation, manipulation and conspiracy theories,” said Antonio López-Istúriz White, head of the European Parliament’s monitoring delegation.

Election observers said cases of intimidation and other violations were particularly visible in rural areas.

Georgian Dream won the highest share of votes – almost 90% – in the Javakheti region of southern Georgia. In the capital he received no more than 44% in any district.

Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, a member of Georgian Dream, described his party’s success as “impressive and obvious” and that “any attempts to talk about election manipulation… are doomed to failure.”

Initial figures suggested turnout was among the highest since Georgian Dream first won control of parliament in 2012. The party has vowed to continue pushing for EU membership but also wants to “reset” ties with former Imperial Master of Georgia, Russia. In 2008, Georgia fought and lost a brief war with Moscow, which then recognized the independence of two breakaway Georgian regions and strengthened its military presence there.

European Council President Charles Michel called on Georgian officials to “quickly, transparently and independently investigate” election irregularities and said Georgian Dream should demonstrate its “firm commitment” to the EU.

Hungary’s Victor Orbán, who was the first foreign leader to congratulate Georgian Dream, arrived on Monday for a two-day visit to Georgia.

Zourabichvili said he was a “special friend” of Georgian Dream and dismissed his visit as a “political play”.

Orban has “no mandate from the EU Council” to visit Georgia, Massrali said on behalf of the EU.

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Associated Press reporters Sophiko Megrelidze in Tbilisi and Raf Casert in Brussels contributed.