NewsRescue
Protesters clashed with police in Georgia’s capital Tbilisi and tried to break into the country’s parliament on Wednesday night, as intense rallies against the controversial ‘foreign agents’ bill continue.
A large crowd gathered outside the parliament building for a second night in a row, with activists waving Georgian and EU flags. They oppose the bill that would force organizations that receive more than 20% of their funding from abroad to register as “foreign agents.” The MPs approved the second reading of the bill on Wednesday.
A group of protesters, some wearing ski masks, dismantled security fences and attempted to break into the legislative compound. Police officers responded with water cannons and pepper spray, pushing intruders from the gate.
Some protesters were filmed brawling with the officers and resisting arrest. According to Georgia’s First Channel, protesters erected barricades and blocked several roads in central Tbilisi.
A total of 63 people were detained for public disturbances the previous night, when activists also clashed with police, Deputy Interior Minister Alexander Darakhvelidze told reporters.
TBILISI / GEORGIA :At the request of Georgia’s pro-Russian government, police violently attacked a peaceful protest.Georgian society is protesting against “Russian law” and the “Russification of Georgia”. #WeAreEurope 🇬🇪🇪🇺 pic.twitter.com/2HnR0Sifli— Lucas Ablotia (@AblotiaLucas) May 1, 2024
The leading pro-Western opposition party United National Movement said that its leader Levan Khabeishvili was briefly “kidnapped” and beaten by police in the early hours of Wednesday. Khabeishvili attended a parliament meeting later that day with bandages on his nose and forehead.