in Georgia, thousands of people demonstrate against “Russian law”

Tuesday evening in Tbilisi, thousands of men and women denounced Moscow’s hand behind this law which will force numerous NGOs to declare themselves as agents of a foreign power.

The protesters call it the “Russian law”. Thousands of people demonstrated until late at night on Tuesday, May 14 in Tbilisi, after the Georgian Parliament voted on the very controversial law on “agents of foreign influence”. This law, which bears a striking resemblance to a similar Russian law, requires NGOs and media that receive more than 20% of funds from abroad to declare themselves as agents of a foreign power. The Georgian government pushed it through despite pressure from the streets and American and foreign authorities.

The protesters fear that their country, which already experienced an invasion by Russia in 2008, will return to Moscow’s orbit. They call on the Americans and Europeans for help. Neither the last minute warnings issued by the United States, which had sent their deputy secretary of state, Michael Roth, nor the presence of several European elected officials will have caused the Georgian government to back down. But opponents appreciated the presence on site of German MP Michael Roth. “Tbilisi is the capital of Europe”he said.

Warm words but which come a little late according to Marat: “Everyone is finally realizing what we’ve been putting up with for years. And to be honest, we’re not getting enough support from the Westshe laments. I would like us not to turn a blind eye to what is happening.”

“This is an existential battle for all of us and we will fight until the end”

Shota, in the demonstration in Tbilisi

at franceinfo

“We need your help”, Shota continues. Like him, many Georgians are demanding action from Europeans in the face of what they consider to be Russian interference. “Now is no longer the time for half measures, it is no longer the time for wait-and-see behavior.”

“We want a more proactive sanctions policyasks Giorgi Kadagidze, former governor of the Georgian Central Bank. The leaders who defend this pro-Russian law travel to the European Union, invest in the European Union, and their children study in the European Union. So the next support from the European Union must be sanctions.”

But this mode of action is not on the agenda of Europeans and Americans for the moment. So the Georgian opposition is looking towards the next legislative elections, in the fall, which will be decisive for the future of the country.