Tbilisi: Tens of thousands of people took to the streets of Georgia on Thursday to protest against a similar foreign “foreign influence” law to Russia.
Protesters carrying the red and white Georgian flag and the blue EU flag have filled the streets of the capital Tbilisi in recent weeks, AFP reporters reported.
The United States and the United Nations have spoken out against the law, and UN rights chiefs have expressed concern over police violence against protesters.
Unlike previous demonstrations in Tbilisi, Thursday’s protest was held in two different locations: in front of parliament, like the previous night, and in Heroes’ Square, where there is a memorial to fallen Georgian soldiers.
Police fired tear gas and arrested several protesters who blocked the main road leading to Heroes’ Square.
Demonstrators in front of the parliament shouted “No Russia!” They shouted and went to the field. and carrying placards from the Georgian Dream MPs, who labeled it “back”.
The bill, which was read a second time in parliament on Wednesday, was attacked by the European Union, the United Nations and the United States.
If approved, the law would require NGOs and media organizations that receive more than 20 percent of their funding from abroad to register as “foreign power-seeking organizations.”
He said the branding of foreign interests “poses a serious threat to freedom of expression and association.”
John Kirby, a spokesman for the US National Security Council, told reporters that the United States is “concerned about what this legislation might do to stifle dissent and free speech.”
Police violently cracked down on protests against the bill earlier this week, firing tear gas, water cannons and rubber bullets, beating and arresting scores of people.
Turk said he was concerned by reports of unnecessary and disproportionate use of force by law enforcement agencies against protesters and the media, and called for an investigation into allegations of abuse during protests or arrests.
Georgian Dream defended the bill, saying it would increase transparency about foreign funding of NGOs. The measure is intended to be signed into law by mid-May.
Last year, mass street protests forced Georgian Dream to abandon plans for a similar event.
The latest crisis comes ahead of parliamentary elections in October, seen as a key test of democracy in the former Soviet republic, which is seeking B.
Georgia has been trying to strengthen ties with the West for years, but has been accused of trying to bring the country of the “Georgian Dream” closer to Russia.
In December, GeorgiaB granted Georgia official candidate status, but said Tbilisi must reform its judicial and electoral systems, reduce political polarization, increase media freedom and curb oligarchic power before membership talks can officially begin.
Georgia’s bid for EU and NATO membership is enshrined in the constitution and supported by more than 80 percent of the population, according to opinion polls.
