Protests in Tbilisi Against Foreign Agents Law

A small protest is taking place in front of the Parliament building in Tbilisi against the adoption of the foreign agents law, with a large-scale rally scheduled for the evening, organizers have announced.

The Georgian Parliament has begun discussions on the "Transparency of Foreign Influence" bill today. The draft law proposed by the ruling "Georgian Dream" faction is being discussed in the parliamentary legal committee in its first reading.

The announcement of the event, published on social media, states that the first protest is taking place in the morning in front of the Parliament building, and at 7:00 PM (coinciding with Yerevan time), Rustaveli Avenue awaits every citizen.

Previously, the ruling "Georgian Dream" party introduced the foreign agents law in Parliament, which triggered massive protests last March. In the draft "Transparency of Foreign Influence" law, the term "foreign agent" has been replaced with "organization acting in the interests of a foreign force," while the rest of the content of the bill remains the same.

Frequent protests demanding the withdrawal of the law have already begun in Tbilisi. Protesters argue that the bill is analogous to the Russian version.

The Georgian Parliament adopted the foreign agents law in its first reading on March 7, 2023. Following that, massive protests broke out in Tbilisi, which were dispersed by police using tear gas and water cannons. According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, 133 people were arrested. Later, the Georgian authorities withdrew the bill from Parliament.