Georgia’s opposition starts fresh protest over the "foreign agents" law
Фото: Тбілісі ЗМІ
Mass protests continue in Georgia. A march of protesters against the law on "foreign agents" began in Tbilisi, and thousands of protesters headed to the Georgian parliament building.
The calls came after more than sixty of people were detained and dozens of police officers wounded in violent clashes that broke out in the capital Tbilisi late Tuesday amid fears of democratic backsliding in Georgia.
People are shouting the slogan "No russian Law", because the law that caused the indignation of Georgian society is a copy of a similar russian law.
"A march of protesters against the law on "foreign agents" has begun in Tbilisi. People are walking down the street to the parliament building in a column with a streamer and the slogan "No russian Law," Ukrainian media Obozrevatel states.
Protests in Georgia began on March 6, when deputies discussed a scandalous draft law on "foreign agents". While inside the parliament, the degree of tension reached such a level that some deputies started a fight. People gathered near the walls of the parliament with flags of the European Union and Georgia and played the EU anthem. A lot of police patrolled nearby, and restricted access to the building was introduced.
The participants held an action under the slogan "No russian law in Georgia." Many held placards depicting russian dictator putin and Irakli Kobakhidze, head of Georgia's ruling party, which supports the adoption of a law on "foreign agents".
And already on March 7, the Parliament of Georgia adopted the bill "On transparency of foreign influence" in the first reading. It is very similar to the russian legislation on "foreign agents".
In particular, it provides for the registration as agents of foreign influence of non-commercial legal entities and mass media, the income of which is more than 20% received from abroad.
For evading registration as an agent of foreign influence or not filling out the declaration, the organization will be fined about 9,000 dollars.
Because of this, on March 7, the protests resumed with new force: thousands of people took to the streets.
In Tbilisi, the police used rubber bullets, water cannons, and tear gas to disperse the protesters. In response, the protestors used "Molotov cocktails". However, the security forces prevailed.
The world has already reacted to what is happening in Georgia. The EU warned Georgia of "serious consequences" due to the law, which caused mass protests, and the US announced sanctions.
