TBILISI [Georgia], Tension rose in Tbilisi as Georgian police fired tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse thousands of protesters rallying outside the parliament for the third week in a row. The protests were aimed at denouncing a controversial "foreign influence" bill that critics argue undermines Georgia's aspirations for EU membership, with Al Jazeera reporting that masked riot police resorted to violent tactics. , which also included confronting and arresting protesters opposing the bill. Proposed legislation currently under parliamentary debate seeks to force organizations receiving more than 20 percent of their funding from abroad to register as "foreign agents".
Despite spirited demonstrations, the parliamentary session adjourned without a vote, with discussion scheduled to resume the next day. The bill has heightened tensions between the ruling Georgian Dream party and a coalition of opposition groups, civil society organizations and public figures, including President Salome Zurabishvili of Georgia.DREAM's legislative dominance allows it to pass legislation without opposition support, sharpening the divide between the government and dissenting voices. Critics have drawn parallels between the bill and Russia's "foreign agent law", which has been used to suppress dissent within its borders, Russia's involvement in the breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia a sore point for many Georgians. The points remain, further complicated by the 2008 war between the two countries.
International condemnation of the bill has intensified, with the United States, the United Kingdom and the European Union expressing concern. European Council President Charles Michel stressed that the law undermines Georgia's EU membership aspirations and moves the country away from European integration. Former Defense Minister of Georgia Tina Khidasheli, among the protesters, expressed confidence in the ultimate victory of the protesters.Amid the ongoing protests, the government organized a rally in support of the bill, which was attended by thousands of people, mainly from provincial areas. The contradictory demonstrations underscore the deepening divisions within Georgian society over the controversial law. The turbulent debates around the bill have spilled over into parliamentary halls, with a physical altercation last month. As tensions persist, Georgia is grappling with deep political polarization and uncertainty about the future trajectory of its democracy, Al Jazeera reports.
Despite spirited demonstrations, the parliamentary session adjourned without a vote, with discussion scheduled to resume the next day. The bill has heightened tensions between the ruling Georgian Dream party and a coalition of opposition groups, civil society organizations and public figures, including President Salome Zurabishvili of Georgia.DREAM's legislative dominance allows it to pass legislation without opposition support, sharpening the divide between the government and dissenting voices. Critics have drawn parallels between the bill and Russia's "foreign agent law", which has been used to suppress dissent within its borders, Russia's involvement in the breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia a sore point for many Georgians. The points remain, further complicated by the 2008 war between the two countries.
International condemnation of the bill has intensified, with the United States, the United Kingdom and the European Union expressing concern. European Council President Charles Michel stressed that the law undermines Georgia's EU membership aspirations and moves the country away from European integration. Former Defense Minister of Georgia Tina Khidasheli, among the protesters, expressed confidence in the ultimate victory of the protesters.Amid the ongoing protests, the government organized a rally in support of the bill, which was attended by thousands of people, mainly from provincial areas. The contradictory demonstrations underscore the deepening divisions within Georgian society over the controversial law. The turbulent debates around the bill have spilled over into parliamentary halls, with a physical altercation last month. As tensions persist, Georgia is grappling with deep political polarization and uncertainty about the future trajectory of its democracy, Al Jazeera reports.
