Thousands of people demonstrated again outside Georgia’s parliament in Tbilisi on Tuesday, shortly before the start of a plenary session where MPs will vote on a controversial foreign agents law.
The opposition has sharply criticized the proposal because it believes it is based on Russian legislation that violates freedom of expression and freedom of the press.
The Russian regime has used a similar law to silence hostile press and opponents of President Vladimir Putin.
Protesters gathered at secondary entrances to the parliament building, prompting police to restore security cordons in the surrounding area, Civil news reported, citing Spanish news agency Europa Press.
Security forces issued a yellow alert in the building, where there have been fights between MPs in recent weeks, in the context of debate over the passage of the law.
Footage broadcast on the Caucasian country’s public television showed lawmakers were again involved in a fight on Tuesday.
During the ongoing debate, representatives of the majority party attacked several opposition MPs with their fists, according to the French news agency AFP.
The proposal, expected to be voted on today, would require organizations, media outlets and similar entities that receive at least 20% of their funding from abroad to register as “agents of foreign influence,” as in Russia.
Students at about 50 universities across the country also took to the streets to join the marches, saying they would not return to classes until the law is repealed if it is approved.
The text is the same as in 2023, although with some changes, and has caused numerous protests since April 15.
The opposition and part of society already held a demonstration against the bill last year, accusing the government of sympathizing with Moscow.
The government rejected the criticism and said the proposal would simply promote a list of foreign-funded organizations.
The international community has warned that Georgia could deviate from its path to European integration if the law is approved.
Georgia is one of the candidate countries for membership in the European Union (EU), along with Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Turkey and Ukraine.