Some 20,000 people, mainly young, protested in Tbilisi, Georgia’s capital, April 18, chanting, “No to the Russian law!” The former Soviet republic bordering Russia on the Black Sea has been rocked for days by demonstrations opposing the ruling Georgian Dream party’s controversial bill to outlaw “foreign influence.” Above, another protest four days later. Demonstrators see the law as modeled on one used by Russian President Vladimir Putin’s repressive regime to clamp down on dissent.
Cops fired tear gas and beat and arrested some protesters. More actions are planned in early May. Last year the government tried to push through a similar bill, but mass demonstrations forced the government to back off.
“This is about our future, it’s about Georgia’s fate!” Giorgi Toroshelidze told the Kyiv Post. “Not only will we make them repeal this law, we won’t tolerate a pro-Russian government ruling in Georgia any longer.”