Police in Georgia’s capital have used water cannon, tear gas and stun grenades against crowds outside the country’s parliament protesting against a bill the opposition says aims to stifle press freedom.
Legislation being debated by MPs will require media outlets and non-profit organizations to register as foreign-influenced if they receive more than 20% of their funding from abroad.
Riot police detain a protester in Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia. Photo: AP
Police used water cannons to disperse protesters. Photo: AP
Thousands of protesters gathered on the streets of Tbilisi on Tuesday to oppose the legislation.
Clashes broke out between security forces and protesters who faced tear gas, water cannons and stun grenades.
Thousands of people gathered to oppose the legislation. Photo: AP
Photo: AP
Photo: AP
Reuters eyewitnesses saw some police officers physically attack protesters, who threw eggs and bottles at them, before deploying the tactic to force crowds out of the parliament building, the news agency reported.
After being dispersed, thousands of people continued to block Tbilisi’s main Rustaveli Avenue, barricaded with cafe tables and garbage bins. Some shouted “slaves” and “Russians” at the police.
Clashes broke out between police and protesters. Photo: AP
Levan Khabeishvili, the leader of GeorgiaChina’s largest opposition party, the United National Movement, posted an image of X with a bloodied face and sporting a black eye.
A party official told Reuters that Khabeishvili was beaten by police after he disappeared from central Tbilisi.
Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili, who opposes the bill and whose powers are mainly ceremonial, said in a post on
Protesters sit in protest. Photo: AP
Photo: AP
The bill has increased political divisions, pitting the ruling Georgian Dream party against a protest movement backed by opposition groups, communities, celebrities and the figurehead president.
The opposition considers it authoritarian and resembles Russian legislation against independent media.
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Politicians fight in parliament
Critics have called the divisive bill “Russian law,” comparing it to Moscow’s “foreign agents” legislation that has been used to crack down on dissent there.
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Parliament passed the bill in first reading earlier this month. It must pass two more readings before becoming law.
A protester holds an EU flag. Photo: AP
Opponents of the legislation see it as an impediment to Georgia’s long-sought prospects of joining the European Union.
EU officials have said it could halt Georgia’s progress toward integration with the bloc.