Near the parliament in Tbilisi, where protests against the law on “foreign agents” are taking place, arrests began, the Tbilisi Life telegram channel and a Paper Kartuli correspondent report.
Police reinforcements arrived at Freedom Square and Rustaveli Avenue. The Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs issued a warning calling on protesters “to engage in non-violent protest.”
The security forces demanded that the protesters leave the area near the parliament building. Judging by the videos published by RusNews and Paper Kartuli, the protesters broke some of the barriers installed by security forces at the entrance to the building.
Later, hundreds of special forces surrounded the parliament and began to force people out of the square.
On May 14, the Georgian parliament passed in the third and final reading the law on “foreign agents,” against which Georgia has been protesting since April 15. Protesters compare this law with the Russian one; one of the main slogans of the thousands-strong rallies is “Yes to Europe. No to Russian law! The inscriptions Fuck Putin and Fuck Russian dream appeared on the walls of parliament.
Students and teachers of Georgian universities went on strike. Today, deputies of the “United National Movement” and “Lelo for Georgia” parties announce (they have 35 mandates in total — MZ) they have announced a boycott of the work of parliament — they refuse to participate in meetings until the law “On Foreign Influence” is repealed.
In Tbilisi, hundreds of special forces began to force protesters against the law on “foreign agents” from the square in front of parliament
The Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs published a warning in which called on protesters to “engage in non-violent protest.” Judging by the videos published by RusNews and Paper… pic.twitter.com/hqzBtcqnRr
— Mediazona (@mediazzzona) May 14, 2024
According to the adopted law, NPOs and media outlets that receive at least 20% of their annual income from borders will have to register as “agents of foreign influence” in a government registry. The absence of such registration implies a fine of 25 thousand lari.
Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili promised to veto the bill, but the ruling Georgian Dream party, which introduced the bill, is able to overcome it with a majority of votes.