police use tear gas to disperse thousands of protesters gathered in Tbilisi against controversial law

Georgian police dispersed with tear gas and water cannons tens of thousands of people who were demonstrating on Wednesday March 8 in Tbilisi against a bill targeting the media and NGOs, the day after clashes between opponents and police. The authorities ordered the demonstrators gathered in front of the Parliament to disperse, then used gas and water cannons, according to an AFP journalist on the spot.

Flags of Georgia and the European Union were notably waved. “No to Russian law!”chanted the crowd gathered at the call of several NGOs and opposition groups, in reference to the bill adopted Tuesday by Georgian deputies at first reading.

A text similar to a Russian law

This text provides that organizations receiving more than 20% of their funding from abroad are obliged to register as“foreign agents”subject to fines. He recalls a similar law adopted in Russia in 2012 and which the Kremlin has used extensively to crack down on media and opposition organizations or simple critical voices.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Wednesday he wanted “democratic success” for the protesters. For their part, the United States called on the Georgian authorities to respect the “peaceful protests”. The former Soviet republic, marked by a war against Russia in 2008, aims to join the EU and NATO. However, several recent government measures have cast doubt on these aspirations.