TBILISI, Georgia (AP) — Police in Georgia’s capital used tear gas and water cannons Tuesday to disperse protesters who rallied outside the country’s parliament to protest a bill that would require media and non-commercial organizations to register as being under foreign influence if they get over 20% of their funding from abroad.
Thousands of demonstrators gathered to oppose the legislation that they see as an impediment to Georgia’s long-sought prospects of joining the European Union. They denounced it as “the Russian law” because Moscow uses similar legislation to stigmatize independent news media and organizations critical of the Kremlin.
During the latest rally against the bill late Tuesday, police moved to break up the protest after demonstrators tried to block the entrances to the parliament building in order to prevent lawmakers from leaving. Several demonstrators were arrested.