This is a general thread for Georgia related news and discussions.
Thousands protest in Georgia against 'foreign influence' law
Monday, 29 Apr 2024 07:44
Some 20,000 Georgians have staged a "March for Europe, calling on the country's government to scrap a controversial "foreign influence" bill which the EU has warned would undermine Tbilisi's European aspirations.
There have been mass anti-government protests since mid-April, when the ruling Georgian Dream party reintroduced plans to pass a law critics say resembles Russian legislation used to silence dissent.
Waves of similar street protests - during which police used tear gas and water cannon against demonstrators - forced the party to drop a similar measure in 2023.
Police have again clashed with protesters during the latest rallies.
Yesterday evening at least 20,000 people turned out at Tbilisi's central Republic Square, according to an AFP estimate.
Time_Traveller wrote: ↑Mon Apr 29, 2024 8:43 am Thousands protest in Georgia against 'foreign influence' law
Monday, 29 Apr 2024 07:44
Some 20,000 Georgians have staged a "March for Europe, calling on the country's government to scrap a controversial "foreign influence" bill which the EU has warned would undermine Tbilisi's European aspirations.
There have been mass anti-government protests since mid-April, when the ruling Georgian Dream party reintroduced plans to pass a law critics say resembles Russian legislation used to silence dissent.
Waves of similar street protests - during which police used tear gas and water cannon against demonstrators - forced the party to drop a similar measure in 2023.
Police have again clashed with protesters during the latest rallies.
Yesterday evening at least 20,000 people turned out at Tbilisi's central Republic Square, according to an AFP estimate.
Georgia deploys tear gas, water cannon against pro-EU protesters amid ‘Russian law’ outcry
APRIL 30, 2024 8:58 PM CET
TBILISI — Riot police cracked down on demonstrators in the Georgian capital Tuesday night, clearing an area in front of the parliament where thousands had been demanding the government drop a controversial Putin-style “foreign agent” law.
Authorities used water cannon to disperse protesters, some of whom waved EU flags as jets of water forced them away from the building. Riot police charged the crowd several times without warning; dozens were beaten and pushed back. Tear gas, deployed where demonstrators had been standing, added to the chaos.
Several times after being driven off, however, the protesters returned to occupy central Rustaveli Avenue, sparking further clashes with riot police. Ambulances removed the injured and police detained an unknown number of people.
The violence marks a sharp escalation after weeks of public demonstrations opposing the ruling Georgian Dream party’s proposals to require NGOs, campaign groups and media outlets to register as “foreign agents” if they receive more than 20 percent of their funding from abroad.
Georgian Dream initially proposed the measures last year, but dropped them amid widespread public outcry and criticism from abroad in which comparisons were drawn with rules introduced by Russian President Vladimir Putin’s regime to stifle dissent and suffocate civil society.
Georgia approves controversial law that sparked mass protests
2 hours ago
Georgia's parliament has voted through a divisive "foreign agent" law that has sparked weeks of mass street protests.
However, the bill now faces a likely veto by Georgia's president, which parliament can override by holding an additional vote.
Critics say the bill - which they call the "Russia law" - could be used to threaten civil liberties.
Thousands of people were gathered near the parliament in Tbilisi to protest the decision.
On Monday, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze warned that if authorities backed down at the bill's third reading, Georgia would lose sovereignty and "easily share the fate of Ukraine", without detailing what he meant.
Protesters heckled the police - clad in full riot gear - guarding the side entrances to the building. The atmosphere was tense inside the parliament too, with physical and verbal altercations taking place between pro-government and opposition MPs.
