EPAUnrest broke out again in the capital during demonstrations against the law
NOS News•yesterday, 11:04 PM•Adjusted yesterday, 11:53 PM
Georgia’s parliament has approved a controversial bill on ‘foreign agents’ for the second time. To be adopted, the proposal must be discussed one more time. Tens of thousands of demonstrators took to the streets today to demonstrate against the law.
In the evening, a confrontation broke out between demonstrators and police officers at the entrance to the parliament building in Tbilisi. Police used tear gas, water cannons and flash grenades to disperse the demonstrators. The law has been leading to protests in the Georgian capital for weeks.
Today, an estimated 40,000 demonstrators gathered in front of parliament:
Tear gas and water cannon deployed in new protests in Georgia
According to the bill, organizations that receive more than 20 percent of their funding from abroad must register as a ‘foreign agent’. Many projects in Georgia depend on support from abroad. The government wants to have more control over foreign influences.
EU disappointed
The Georgian law is reminiscent of a law introduced in Russia years ago. This has since been used to silence critical media and organizations.
The opposition and demonstrators see the law as an example of Russian interference in Georgia. They also fear that the proposal threatens Georgia’s accession process to the European Union. The country was given the status of candidate member of the EU in December last year.
The EU warned last week that the adoption of this law will indeed have consequences for Georgia’s accession, calling it a “very worrying development”. The law does not correspond to the norms and values of the EU, the statement said.
The plan was also submitted last year, but withdrawn after two days of fierce protests. At the time, the party already kept the door ajar to resubmitting the bill once the unrest had subsided.
Rubberkogels
Yesterday, protests against the law were also ended with violence. The thousands of demonstrators were dispersed with tear gas, water cannons, rubber bullets and flash grenades. According to police, the demonstration was no longer peaceful and public order had to be restored. The opposition and local journalists contradict this.
Georgian media report that there have been injuries and the Ministry of the Interior speaks of six injured officers. 63 people were arrested.
Also yesterday, the protest against the controversial law ended with violence:
Arrests and riots against controversial law in Tbilisi
EU foreign chief Josep Borrell has condemned the violence against demonstrators. “The use of violence to oppress people is unacceptable,” Borrell wrote on X.
Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, calls on the Georgian government not to adopt the law. “Georgian citizens are showing their strong commitment to democracy. The Georgian government must heed this clear message,” she wrote in a statement.
