Georgians rally against Russia "aggression"

By Margarita Antidze and Matt Robinson

TBILISI (Reuters) - More than one million Georgians protested on Monday against Russian military action and the Kremlin's backing for the country's two separatist regions, officials in the ex-Soviet republic said.

Many waving the red-and-white Georgian flag, protesters linked arms in the capital Tbilisi in a human chain that snaked through the city under cloudy skies.

Flags flew from balconies and protesters chanted "Long Live Georgia!" and "Stop Russia!"

Countrywide, police said over 1 million people took part in what authorities said was a show of unity after Russia this month crushed a Georgian bid to retake breakaway South Ossetia from pro-Moscow separatists.

The figure, which could not be independently confirmed, would account for more than a fifth of the Black Sea state's 4.5 million population.

"Today we can say that Georgia is not alone, because the whole world is standing beside us," President Mikheil Saakashvili told the crowd on Tbilisi's Freedom Square.

Moscow poured tanks and troops across its southern border to repel the Georgian assault ordered by Saakashvili, and last week recognised South Ossetia and a second breakaway region, Abkhazia, as independent states.

The protest coincided with a meeting in Brussels of European Union leaders, who were expected to announce a review of ties with Moscow but stop short of concrete punishment.