Georgia's unrest: Protests escalate amid controversial 'Foreign Agent' bill
For over a month, Georgians have been protesting against the bill regarding "agents of foreign influence", inspired by legislation enacted in Russia. They are urging the ruling party to reconsider. Last weekend, the protests reached a climax. Early Monday morning, police deployed force to remove protesters from the parliament building.
On Saturday, residents of Tbilisi took to the streets to voice their opposition against the "foreign agent" bill, modelled on Russian legislation. It became the biggest demonstration in modern Georgian history, lasting throughout the weekend.
As reported by the Newsgeorgia portal, early on Monday, police pushed back protesters from the entrances to the Georgian parliament in Tbilisi.
Video footage showed police beating protesters opposing the newly enacted law on so-called foreign agents, including an incident involving a man already on the ground. Approximately 20 individuals were detained, some of whom were foreigners.
History is made
The latest protest endured from Sunday night into Monday morning and was reported to be peaceful. As dawn broke in front of the parliament, police forces began to form ranks and then ordered the demonstrators to disperse to allow parliament members to enter the building. This marked the beginning of the operation to clear the area in front of the building.
The overnight demonstration was the latest action in the month-long protest against the draft law aimed at regulating the transparency of foreign influences. On Monday, the parliament's legal affairs committee will discuss the bill at its third reading. The prime minister announced on Sunday that the final vote on the bill in its third reading would occur later in the week.
Georgians stand against the "foreign agent" bill
The proposed Georgian law is based on the initial, more lenient version of the Russian law, which was subsequently made stricter. Thus, it is often referred to as the "Russian law" or the "foreign agents" law. It requires that legal entities and media receiving more than 20 percent of their funding from foreign sources register and report as foreign influence agents entering a particular registry. The Georgian Ministry of Justice will have the authority to inspect such organizations on any grounds.
Critics argue that, like in Russia, the law could be used to dismantle the opposition and independent media. Both the opposition and protest participants argue that the law contradicts Georgia's European Union aspirations.
On May 1, despite ongoing large-scale protests for nearly a month, the Georgian parliament, dominated by the Georgian Dream party, approved the law on the transparency of foreign influences at its second reading.
US and EU officials have expressed concern over the law's adoption and have called on Georgian authorities to withdraw the bill. They highlight that it undermines Georgia's European aspirations and integration process. Georgia was granted EU candidate status in December 2023. Surveys show that about 80 percent of Georgians are in favor of joining the Union.
Veto is announced
Despite large-scale protests (which led to the halting of the law's processing last year), the Georgian Dream party remains steadfast, dismissing criticism and appeals from the USA, EU, or international organizations as "interference in domestic affairs".
On Sunday, Prime Minister Irakli Kobachidze stated that the bill would be voted on as it is supported by the majority of Georgians, according to a government-conducted survey.
After the third reading, President Salome Zurabishvili will sign the law. She has already announced her intent to veto it, arguing it contradicts Georgia's pro-European trajectory. Nevertheless, the ruling party possesses the parliamentary majority required to override the presidential veto.
During the protests, police repeatedly deployed special measures, including water cannons, pepper spray, and tear gas.
