Georgian protesters rally in Tbilisi after violent clashes with police

Thousands of people staged a second straight day of protests in the Georgian capital Tbilisi on Wednesday, rallying outside parliament against a “foreign agents” law which critics say signals an authoritarian shift.

As night fell, police used water cannon and stun grenades to push back a few dozen people after they broke through a metal barrier erected some distance from the parliament.

Lawmakers on Tuesday passed a first reading of the legislation, which requires any organisations receiving more than 20% of their funding from overseas to register as “foreign agents” or face substantial fines.

The ruling Georgian Dream party say it is modelled on U.S. legislation dating from the 1930s. Critics, including President Salome Zourabichvili, say it is reminiscent of a Russian law the Kremlin has used extensively to crack down on dissent and could harm Georgia’s chances of European Union membership.

In violent clashes on Tuesday evening, protesters threw petrol bombs and stones at police, who used tear gas and water cannon to disperse the crowds. The interior ministry said 77 people had been detained.

Protests restarted on Wednesday afternoon with a march down the central Rustaveli Avenue to mark International Women’s Day, which is a public holiday.

“Now is (a) time when we are under direct attack from the government,” said 24-year-old journalist Mikheil Gvadzabia. “It’s very clear that more and more people realise that this is scary and they should fight for their future.”

Thousands gathered in front of parliament as evening set in, carrying Georgian and European Union flags and shouting “No to the Russian law”.

Reuters reporters heard the Georgian, Ukrainian and EU anthems as crowds poured onto the street in front of parliament, blocking traffic.

“We cannot let our country become pro-Russian or a Russian state, or undemocratic. We don’t have any other choice: Georgia is either democratic or there is no Georgia. We will win,” said 33-year-old software engineer Vakhtang Berikashvili.

Footage of smaller protests in the Black Sea resort city of Batumi, Georgia’s second largest, were also shared online.

RIFT

The issue has deepened a rift between Georgian Dream, which leads the government and has a parliamentary majority, and Zourabichvili, a pro-European who has moved away from the party since being elected with its support in 2018.

She backed the protesters, saying on Tuesday that lawmakers who voted for the draft had violated the constitution. She also pledged to veto the bill if it reached her desk, though parliament can override her.

Critics say Georgian Dream is too close to Russia and has taken the country in a more repressive direction in recent years. Georgian society is strongly anti-Moscow following years of conflict over the status of two Russian-backed breakaway regions, which flared into a short war in 2008.

The U.S. Helsinki Commission, a government agency that monitors rights across Europe, has called the draft law an “assault on the country’s weakening democracy” which reflected Moscow’s growing sway in Tbilisi”.

Georgian Dream Chairman Irakli Kobakhidze on Wednesday said the law would help root out those working against the interests of the country and the powerful Georgian Orthodox Church. He criticised Georgia’s “radical opposition” for stirring up protesters to commit “unprecedented violence” during Tuesday’s rallies, according to Georgian news agencies.

Several EU officials have also expressed concerns. Last year Brussels rebuffed Tbilisi’s attempts to become a candidate country for EU membership, saying it needed to speed up reforms.