"We will never accept Russian rule!" - A massive youth march in Tbilisi against the "foreign agents law"
Protest against the law on foreign agents in Georgia
On April 19, participants of the massive youth march in Tbilisi chanted ‘No to the Russian law!’ protesting against the draft law ‘On Foreign Influence’, commonly referred to as the ‘foreign agents law’ or the ‘Russian law’ in society.
On April 17, the parliament passed the draft law in the first reading. It is promised to be reviewed in the third reading on May 17.
The protest in front of the parliament has been ongoing for several days, gathering between 30,000 to 100,000 people each time. Today, protesters once again blocked Rustaveli Avenue, whistled, blew horns, beat drums, and chanted: “Where are we going? To Europe!”
The young people were calling on the government to repeal the “Russian law.”
Later, the rally participants moved first to the House of Justice, and then to Heroes Square. In doing so, they marched through all the central districts of the city.
The cars on the embankment, which were driving parallel to the march, greeted its participants with honks.
At Heroes Square, where a memorial to those who died for Georgia’s territorial integrity is erected, young people sang the Georgian anthem and made an oath:
“We, the citizens of Georgia, Georgian patriots, have gathered here at Heroes Square to honor their memory and pledge before their souls. We swear that we will never forsake the freedom bought with the price of your lives. We swear that we will never reconcile with the force that seeks to surrender our country to the enemy – Russia. We will stand for each other and defend the sovereignty of Georgia, our language, our heritage, and unity!
Long live independent and united Georgia!“
Then tens of thousands of protesters returned to the parliament, where they once again appealed to the deputies to abandon the consideration of the “foreign agents” bill.
“We are all here together, not just students, but also all our teachers, our parents. This is our country, and we are fighting together for its prosperity. We are on the right side of history,” said one of the rally participants from the podium, announcing the continuation of the protest the next day.
“We will stand here every day. Our struggle will continue until the authorities abandon this ugly law, until Russian influence disappears from this country,” declared another rally participant.
Another protest action is scheduled for tomorrow, April 20, at 7 p.m.
● The draft law on “foreign agents” was first initiated by the ruling party a year ago, in March 2023. It was then passed by parliament in the first reading but later withdrawn due to mass protests by citizens and sharp criticism from the West.
● On April 3, 2024, it was announced that the ruling party “Georgian Dream” had once again initiated the consideration of the draft law “On the Transparency of Foreign Influence.”
● On April 16, the second day of mass protests outside the parliament, riot police used pepper spray to disperse the peaceful demonstration. Several protesters were also beaten, resulting in injuries to dozens of participants.
● Accredited ambassadors in the country, many Western politicians, leaders of the European Union, and representatives of the US State Department, sharply criticized the draft law and recommended its withdrawal from parliament. Georgia has been openly warned that passing this law will create significant obstacles to the country’s integration into Europe.
● Despite unprecedented domestic and international resistance, on April 17, the parliament passed the agent law in the first reading during a plenary session with 83 votes in favor and 0 against. Opposition deputies abstained from voting; some left the session in protest, while others were forcibly removed from the chamber.
● The Georgian government asserts that it will not retreat and will fully enforce the law. The main argument of the government is that “Georgian non-governmental organizations operate non-transparently, posing a threat to the country’s security.”
However, independent experts, the opposition, and the broader civil society do not buy into this argument. They believe that the ruling party, Georgian Dream, is attempting to prolong its stay in power and is gearing up to suppress alternative voices in the country ahead of the parliamentary elections in October 2024.
Why this bill is harmful and has nothing to do with the American and European versions:
In their comments, government representatives consistently reiterate that critics of the “foreign agents law” cannot provide specific arguments as to why this law is Russian. However, this is not the case, as evidenced by numerous materials circulating in Georgian media for over a year.
Journalists extensively and with specific arguments explain the harmful nature of this law.
● Explanation by JAMnews: Why this law is harmful and has nothing to do with the American and European versions (in Russian, Georgian, and English).
● Georgian edition of Radio Liberty provides a detailed explanation of the dangers of this project (in Georgian).
● Why is this law called Russian? Detailed analysis by the publication “Publika” (in Georgian).
● Breakdown of the bill by points in a video by the “Project 64” team (in Georgian).
● Here is the text from JAMnews about the disasters already caused by this law adopted in other countries (in Russian, Georgian, and English).
● What makes the Russian law dangerous? 5 questions and answers in a text by Netgazeti (in Georgian).
● Simple explanation on the website on.ge.
