Georgian police fire tear gas to break up protest against so
TBILISI, Georgia (AP) — Police in the capital of Georgia on Tuesday unleashed tear gas to break up a large demonstration outside the country’s parliament to protest a proposed law that would require media and non-commercial organizations to register as being under foreign influence if they receive more than 20% of their funding from abroad.
Opponents say the proposal would obstruct Georgia’s long-sought prospects of joining the European Union and denounce it as “the Russian law” because of similar legislation used by Moscow to stigmatize independent news media and organizations seen as being at odds with the Kremlin.
The parliament debated the bill, but put off voting on its first reading until Wednesday.
News reports said some demonstrators were arrested in the clash with police, but no figures were immediately available.
The bill is nearly identical to a proposal that the governing party was pressured to withdraw last year after large street protests.