Thousands of demonstrators took to the streets in the Georgian capital Tbilisi on Saturday evening to once again protest against the controversial bill aimed at curbing “foreign influence”.
“Georgia! Georgia!”, chanted many of the demonstrators who braved the heavy rain and marched along one of the banks of the Kura River in the direction of Europe Square. A large crowd has gathered there, waving Georgian and European flags. “We are protecting our European future,” explained campaigner Mariam Meunargia.
Major anti-government demonstrations have been taking place in Georgia since early April. Prime Minister Irakli Kobkhidze’s ruling party Georgian Dream then presented a bill that appears to be at odds with the country’s European ambitions. The small country in the South Caucasus has been a candidate country for the European Union since last year.
The controversial law means, among other things, that NGOs and media organizations that receive more than a fifth of their funding from abroad must register as ‘agents’ influenced by foreign countries. The text is inspired by Russian legislation that the Kremlin has been using for years to suppress critical voices on a massive scale.
The bill must be discussed in parliament for its third reading very soon. Afterwards, President Salome Zurabishvili still has to sign the text. She would like to use her veto, but Kobkhidze’s party has enough votes to avoid that scenario.
