Georgia faces protests over controversial 'the foreign agent law'
Security forces in Tbilisi used water cannons, rubber bullets, and tear gas to disperse protesters opposing the so-called foreign agents law, according to Georgian media reports on Tuesday evening.
8:09 AM EDT, May 1, 2024
The Newsgeorgia.ge portal reported that special forces began clearing the protest with water cannons and tear gas. Georgian media has widely shared Videos of the confrontations in the capital's center on social platforms.
There were earlier reports of police deploying pepper spray and using excessive force against demonstrators.
Videos posted online by activists and journalists show scenes of officers assaulting unarmed protesters.
A significant police presence was noted in central Tbilisi, with units ready to break up protests and equipped with water cannons, among other tools.
In a statement released Tuesday evening, the Ministry of Internal Affairs declared that they resorted "legally established" to special measures in response to the protestors' refusal to disband. Demonstrators had blocked the parliament's entrance, preventing lawmakers from exiting, as reported by Interpress.ge.
The statement highlighted that rally participants had engaged in verbal and physical confrontations with the officers and hurled various objects at them.
On Tuesday evening, thousands gathered to protest outside the parliament building. This marks another significant protest since the ruling Georgian Dream party resumed efforts in early April to pass the law on the transparency of foreign influences. Following mass protests and pressure from Western countries last year, Georgian Dream paused its adoption of the law. This time, however, the party is adamant about passing the legislation, which it claims will guarantee the "financial transparency" of NGOs, the opposition, and the media.
"Russian law" or "foreign agents law" mirrors a similar Russian statute. It mandates that legal entities and media outlets receiving over 20% of their funding from foreign sources register, report, and be listed in a special registry of foreign influence agents. It also allows the Ministry of Justice to inspect such organizations under any pretext.
International reactions to the protests in Georgia
US, EU, and UN representatives have voiced their concerns over the law's revival and urged Georgian authorities to retract the draft bill. They argue it clashes with Georgia's European ambitions and the Euro-integration process. Notably, Georgia was granted EU candidate status in December 2023.
Despite the large-scale protests, the Georgian Dream Party maintains its stance. It views the critical comments and appeals from the US, EU, or international organizations as "interference in domestic affairs."
The Georgian parliament is scheduled to vote on the law during its second reading on Wednesday.
