Riot police in Georgia waded into demonstrators and cleared them from around part of the ex-Soviet state’s parliament on Tuesday night as lawmakers debated a bill on “foreign agents” that the opposition denounces as authoritarian, REUTERS reports.
The edition says the bill would require organizations receiving more than 20% of their funding from abroad to register as being agents of foreign influence. It is likely to pass in a parliament controlled by the ruling Georgian Dream party and its allies.
“Opponents say the legislation will damage Georgia’s bid to join the European Union.
“As many as 10,000 protesters massed outside parliament, a larger gathering than the previous day, to denounce the bill, approved by a parliamentary committee on Monday.
“Officers, some carrying shotguns, ordered protesters to disperse and deployed what appeared to be a crowd-control substance like pepper spray while clashing with demonstrators.
“Protesters fled the area and within minutes the rear of the building was cleared of demonstrators, though many remained through the evening on other approaches to the parliament.
“Those forced out by police regrouped with other protesters massed on Rustaveli Avenue, a city artery,” reads the article.
Georgia’s Interior Ministry said one police officer was injured in the fracas. Eleven protesters were detained, up on the 13 from Monday night’s protest.
Source: REUTERS
