Police detained more than ten people at rally against foreign agents in Tbilisi
Protest action in Tbilisi against the draft law on foreign agents (photo: tvpirveli.ge)
In the Georgian capital of Tbilisi, during a protest against the parliament's adoption of a bill on foreign agents, which was recently criticized by the European Union, unrest occurred near the legislative building. Police detained over ten protesters, according to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia and the local opposition channel Pirveli.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia stated that in Tbilisi, on Rustaveli Avenue near the parliament building, employees of the ministry's relevant units were sent to maintain public order.
"Due to the violent actions of the protesters, one MIA employee was injured and received appropriate medical care," the department said.
The ministry also stated that law enforcement officers repeatedly urged the organizers and participants of the rally to comply with the lawful demands of MIA representatives, and not to exceed the limits of freedom of assembly and expression established by law.
However, the ministry added that the rally participants did not recognize their lawful demands, disrupted public order, resisted law enforcement officers, and verbally insulted them, as a result of which 14 people were detained by the police under articles 166 and 173 of the Administrative Code.
Opposition complains about illegal detentions
Opposition channel reports that the Democratic Initiative of Georgia called on law enforcement agencies to stop gross violations of the freedom of assembly and refrain from dispersing peaceful protesters near the parliament.
In addition, the organization called on the police to stop the illegal detention of people at the protest.
Singing demonstration in Tbilisi after the adoption by the legal affairs Committee of the Russian Law. « Georgian dream » majority expelled all opposition MP’s from the hearing before the vote!!! pic.twitter.com/YSo8GRlVkW
— Salome Zourabichvili (@Zourabichvili_S) April 15, 2024
Protest will continue
The protest action in front of the Georgian Parliament, which took place on Monday, has already ended, and activists are leaving Rustaveli Avenue.
However, tomorrow, April 16, a continuation of the rally in front of the parliament building is announced for noon.
"Exactly at 12 o'clock, the plenary session of the spring session will begin in the parliament. Whether the Russian law will be put to a vote will be known at the Bureau meeting scheduled for 11:45. At the same time as the plenary session, representatives of various professions will gather near the legislative body and protest against the bill," the channel's statement reads.
Draft law on foreign agents in Georgia
The Georgian government resumed consideration of the foreign agents' bill in parliament about two weeks ago. A similar law has already been adopted in Russia and is used as a lever of influence on companies funded from abroad.
Against this backdrop, protests took place in Tbilisi. The opposition has already dubbed such an initiative the Russian law and sharply criticized it.
In particular, on April 9, the March of Freedom took place in the capital of Georgia, during which participants expressed support for the country's accession to the EU and criticized the foreign agents bill.
On April 11, the EU criticized the Russian law in the Georgian parliament, noting that it could affect the country's membership in the bloc.
It was also reported that on April 15, in the Georgian parliament, the leader of the Citizens party, Aleko Elisashvili, clashed with a representative of the parliamentary majority, one of the leaders of the leading pro-Russian party Georgian Dream, Mamuka Mdinaradze. This happened during a meeting of the parliament's legal committee to discuss the foreign agents bill.
