Police initiated a violent crackdown on a demonstration opposing a bill that the pro-Moscow government in Georgia is attempting to pass.
Georgian security forces deployed water cannons, tear gas, and stun grenades against protesters outside parliament late on Tuesday, significantly escalating the crackdown following discussions among lawmakers regarding a “foreign agents” bill. This legislation is perceived by the opposition and Western nations as authoritarian and influenced by Russia.
According to witnesses from Reuters, some police officers physically assaulted protesters, who responded by throwing eggs and bottles. Subsequently, tear gas, water cannons, and stun grenades were used by the police to disperse the demonstrators from the area outside the Soviet-era parliament building.
Nightly, thousands of anti-government protesters have paralyzed the central streets of Tbilisi since parliament endorsed the bill’s initial reading on April 17th.
Under the proposed legislation, organizations receiving over 20% of their funding from foreign sources would be mandated to register as “foreign agents.”
Critics in Georgia have dubbed the bill as “the Russian law,” drawing comparisons to Moscow’s “foreign agent” legislation, which has been utilized to suppress dissent within Russia.
During the peaceful rally, masked riot police forcefully charged into the crowd, beating and apprehending numerous individuals who were protesting against the bill. Additionally, several journalists were assaulted during the crackdown.
Levan Khabeishvili, chairman of the main opposition United National Movement led by imprisoned former president Mikheil Saakashvili, suffered severe injuries and sought medical assistance after being brutally assaulted.
Local television channels broadcast footage showing Khabeishvili with facial injuries and missing teeth. A party official informed Reuters that Khabeishvili was attacked by police after disappearing from central Tbilisi.
Despite being dispersed from the vicinity of parliament, around 2,000 protesters persisted in blocking Tbilisi’s primary Rustaveli Avenue. They erected barricades using cafe tables and trash bins, with some demonstrators hurling insults such as “Slaves” and “Russians” at the police.
Previously, riot police employed pepper spray and batons to disperse certain protesters who were attempting to impede lawmakers from exiting the rear entrance of parliament.
Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili, a vocal critic of the government despite her primarily ceremonial role, denounced the crackdown in a post on X, asserting it was “completely unjustified, unprovoked, and disproportionate.” She emphasized that the protests had been peaceful.
“I urge the interior minister to immediately halt the crackdown on the peaceful rally, the use of excessive force, and the violence against unarmed youth,” Zurabishvili stated.
Meanwhile, Georgia’s rights ombudsman, Levan Ioseliani, called for an investigation into the use of “disproportionate force” against both protesters and journalists.
The proposed bill has exacerbated divisions in Georgia, a deeply polarized nation in the southern Caucasus, pitting the ruling Georgian Dream party against a protest movement supported by opposition factions, civil society organizations, celebrities, and even the president.
With control over parliament, Georgian Dream and its allies are likely to endorse the bill, which necessitates two additional readings before enactment.
Tina Khidasheli, who previously served as defense minister during a Georgian Dream-led administration from 2015 to 2016, participated in Tuesday’s protest against her former government colleagues. She expressed confidence that the demonstrators would ultimately prevail, stating, “The government is merely delaying the inevitable. While we may encounter significant challenges, ultimately, the people will emerge victorious.”
On Monday, a government-orchestrated rally endorsing the bill drew tens of thousands of attendees, a considerable portion of whom were transported from provincial towns by the ruling party.
During the rally, former Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili, a billionaire and founder of Georgian Dream, denounced the West and suggested a potential crackdown on the opposition following the upcoming elections scheduled for October.
Ivanishvili asserted to the rally participants that a “global party of war” had seized control of the EU and NATO, aiming to exploit these institutions to undermine Georgian sovereignty.
Ivanishvili, who advocates for Georgia’s accession to the EU, defended the foreign agent law, contending that it would fortify national sovereignty. He insinuated that the country’s pro-Western opposition, largely associated with grants to NGOs from foreign intelligence services, was under external control.
Furthermore, Ivanishvili warned that following the elections, Georgia’s opposition, primarily represented by the United National Movement party led by former President Mikheil Saakashvili, would face “severe political and legal consequences.”
Criticism of the bill has been voiced by the US, Britain, and the EU, all of which granted Georgia candidate status in December. EU officials cautioned that the legislation could impede Georgia’s progress toward European integration.
Russia’s support of the breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia has earned it animosity from many Georgians. Georgia’s conflict with Russia in 2008 further exacerbates tensions.
Tuesday’s parliamentary session adjourned without a vote, with the debate scheduled to resume on Wednesday.
