Georgian riot police use water cannon and tear gas against demonstrators

Georgian riot police cracked down on protesters outside parliament in the capital Tbilisi on Tuesday. https://twitter.com/ocmediaorg/status/1785394903926669328?s=46, batons and tear gas. This is what the Reuters news agency writes. The demonstration followed a debate on the ‘Russian law’ against foreign interference. Reuters writes based on eyewitnesses that demonstrators who threw eggs and bottles at the police were then physically attacked.

Emotions in the South Caucasus country have been shaken by the law, which states that organizations that receive donations or subsidies from abroad must register as so-called ‘foreign agents’. That brings with it many limitations. In addition, many protesters fear that the government will use the law to prosecute critics. Since the debate on the bill began earlier this month, there have been fierce protests at the parliament building.

Three readings are needed before the law can be introduced. The first was adopted in mid-April by 83 of the 150 parliamentarians. It is expected that the pro-Russian ruling party Georgian Dream will do everything it can to get the second and third readings through parliament as quickly as possible. Adoption of the law could endanger Georgia’s candidate membership of the European Union. At the end of last year, when a similar bill was withdrawn, the EU decided to grant Georgia candidate membership, but last week the European Parliament announced that it would not continue to negotiate Georgia’s accession as long as the controversial law is on the table.

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