Georgians ‘March for Europe’ in protest against controversial bill
Al Jazeera
Huge crowds have rallied in Georgia’s capital Tbilisi calling for the country to pursue a course of Western orientation in response to a draconian bill seen as influenced by Russia.
About 20,000 people joined the “March for Europe” on Sunday, calling on the government to scrap the “foreign influence” bill. The European Union has warned that the legislation, which would act against political and civil outfits receiving funds from outside the country, could undermine Tbilisi’s European aspirations.
There have been mass antigovernment protests since mid-April, when the governing Georgian Dream party reintroduced the plan to pass the law, which critics say resembles Russian legislation used to silence dissent.
Waves of similar street protests, during which police clamped down harshly with tear gas, forced the party to drop a similar measure in 2023.
Police have clashed with protesters during the latest rallies triggered by the revival of the bill.
