Among other things, the EU has criticized the bill.
In Georgia, around 20,000 people demonstrated in the streets of the capital Tbilisi against the government’s bill.
According to the bill, independent media and organizations must declare that they act as promoters of the goals of a foreign power, if more than 20 percent of their funding comes from abroad. Similar demonstrations were also seen last year, and at that time the government backed away from pushing the bill.
The proposal resembles the so-called agent laws in force in Russia.
President Salome Zurabishvili has announced that he intends to veto the law’s entry into force.
However, the ruling Georgian Dream party has a large enough majority in parliament to override the president’s veto.
Not in line with EU membership
About 80 percent of Georgians support the aspiration to join both the EU and NATO, which is mentioned in the country’s constitution.
– I am here to defend Georgia’s European future. No to Russia, no to Russian law, yes to Europe, one protester said.
The bill has been opposed with demonstrations since mid-April. About a hundred different opposition parties and organizations were organizing the demonstration this time. Before this, they have kept a low profile in the daily protests.
At one point in the evening, the demonstrators tried to break through the police cordon and raise the EU flag in the parliament building. The police at least used tear gas and, according to the Ministry of the Interior, the demonstration turned violent. After midnight, hundreds of riot police had been sent to the streets of the city.
The ruling party announced counter-demonstrations for Monday, when the second round of readings of the bill will be held in the committee. According to the Georgian dream, the party is strongly pro-European and justifies the bill by saying it will increase transparency for organizations. However, opposition figures and other opponents of the motion have criticized that the law would bring Georgia closer to Russia.
The bill has also been criticized at the EU level. For example, the president of the European Council Charles Michel has said it was not in line with Georgia’s EU membership aspirations. The EU granted Georgia candidate status in December.
Source: AFP