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Protesters in Abkhazia stormed the parliament and refused to leave Sunday, part of protests that have broken out in the Georgian breakaway region over a proposed investment agreement that would allow Russian nationals to buy property in the territory, Reuters reported.

On Friday, protesters used a truck to breach the gates of the government compound in the regional capital of Sukhumi, which houses the legislature and presidential office. Over the weekend, clashes between demonstrators and police left at least eight people injured. The unrest forced lawmakers to postpone debate on the contentious measure.

The investment agreement was signed last month between Russian Economy Minister Maxim Reshetnikov and his Abkhazian counterpart, Kristina Ozgan. Critics and opposition leaders fear that the deal would inflate housing prices for locals and further entrench Moscow’s influence in the territory, according to Newsweek.

In response, Abkhazian President Aslan Bzhania said he was drafting an order to withdraw the proposed measure from consideration. He also announced he would resign and hold snap elections if protesters vacated the government buildings.

Demonstrators said the occupation was not against the region’s close ties with Russia, but accused Bzhania of “trying to use these relations for his own selfish interests (and) manipulating them for the sake of strengthening his regime.”

Abkhazia proclaimed its independence from Georgia following wars in the early 1990s Georgia subsequently lost control over the territory after a brief war with Russia in 2008. Russia also recognizes another breakaway region in Georgia, South Ossetia, as an independent state.

While the Georgian government and much of the world consider Abkhazia part of its territory, Moscow considers it an independent state. Still, many of the region’s approximately 245,000 residents worry it operates largely as a client state of Russia.

Russia has maintained military bases in Abkhazia and bolstered its economy, with Abkhazia serving as a popular destination for Russian tourists.

Following this week’s unrest, Moscow expressed concern over the “crisis situation” and advised Russian citizens to avoid travel to the territory.