(TBILISI) - Waving giant European Union flags and angrily denouncing Russia's leaders, huge crowds of Georgians filled the streets on Monday to protest against the Russian military presence in their country.

In what Georgian officials said was the biggest protest in the ex-Soviet republic's history, tens of thousands formed a gigantic human chain through the capital Tbilisi and staged similar demonstrations nationwide.

The rally -- which in Tbilisi took on a triumphant air -- coincided with an emergency summit of EU leaders in Brussels intended to respond to Russia's incursion into Georgia last month and occupation of swathes of territory.

The protestors carried the red-and-white Georgian flag and the flags of the European Union and the Western military alliance NATO, symbolising Tbilisi's desire to form closer ties with the West.

"Georgia will win together with Europe," President Mikheil Saakashvili told the crowds packed into Tbilisi's Freedom Square in an address from the balcony of the town hall.

"Georgia is united as never before. There are one million people on the streets," he proclaimed as Beethoven's "Ode to Joy," the anthem of Europe, boomed out from loudspeakers.

Protestors forming the human chain chanted "Sarkatevelos Gaumarjos!" ("Long Live Georgia") while others drove past in hooting cars with Georgian flags flying from the windows.

As the Georgian national anthem played to mark the start of the rally, demonstrators -- many also holding candles -- joined their hands and raised them into the air.

"The world has to hear that we in Georgia are speaking with one voice," said Shalva Letashvili, an economist, proudly clutching a NATO flag.

"Europe has to help us and we have faith that they will. Who knows, tomorrow Russia could be invading even deeper into Europe," he added.

Emotions were running high against the Russian government, with one protestor carrying an image of Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin made up as Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler next to the slogan "Stop Russia!"

"The Russians are the modern day Tartars and Mongols," seethed Zura Undatze, referring to the Turkic peoples who repeatedly raided Europe. "They are the new Genghiz Khan."

For Nino Kerikadi, 21, a business student, "Russia is a strong country and we are very small and the Russians want to occupy our territory."

"I keep thinking that this is a dream, this cannot be happening, that in the 21st century one country can be occupying and bombing another country's territory," she said.

Deputy Foreign Minister Giga Bokeria told AFP: "It is the biggest demonstration in Georgia's history. According to our estimates, more than one million people in the whole of Georgia are taking part in the human chain."

At least 100,000 people could be seen crammed in central Tbilisi alone, an AFP correspondent reported, with many more further out forming the human chain.

Elsewhere in Georgia, some 15,000 in the western port of Poti formed a human chain from the city centre to Russian military checkpoints that are still maintained on its outskirts, Georgia's Rustavi-2 television reported.

Around 10,000 people also took part in a human chain in the city of Gori, which was occupied by Russian troops until their partial pullout from Georgia last month, Imedi television said.

Smaller protests took place around Europe. About 500 Georgians living in Greece demonstrated in Athens, while 150 waved Georgian flags in London's Trafalgar Square and a similar number formed a human chain in central Prague.

At Monday's emergency summit, EU leaders decided to freeze strategic partnership talks with Moscow until Russian troops withdraw from Georgia, European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy said he would visit Moscow and Tbilisi next Monday with Barroso and EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana for talks on the crisis.

Georgia had been hoping for a tough response from EU leaders to Russia's August 8 incursion into Georgia and recognition of independence for two Moscow-backed separatist regions.

Russian troops entered Georgia to push back a Georgian offensive to retake the rebel enclave of South Ossetia, which broke away from Tbilisi in the 1990s with Moscow's backing.

Despite a partial withdrawal, Russian troops continue to hold positions in Georgia, serving in what Moscow describes as a peacekeeping mission. Tbilisi has labelled them an occupying force.

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