Thousands of Georgians rallied in Tbilisi on the country’s Independence Day, converging their celebrations with protests against the recent and highly controversial “foreign agents” law. This law, proposed by the ruling party, Georgian Dream, is directed at non-governmental organizations and media outlets that receive funding from abroad, a move that has sparked widespread backlash across the country. Local reports suggest that the ruling party in Parliament intends to override a presidential veto of the law.
The protesters, carrying flags of Georgia and the European Union side by side, dubbed their protest as a struggle for democracy against what they see as a pro-Russian government. A telling reflection of the international concerns about the new law was seen last Thursday when the US State Department announced visa restrictions on individuals involved with or responsible for drafting this “Kremlin-style” law, along with their immediate family members.
US Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, criticized the law saying that it restricted the activities of organizations that serve Georgian citizens and undermined independent media that provides vital information in the country. Furthermore, the Secretary argued that government intimidation of protest participants, labeling them as repressive tactics, posed a risk of democratic backslide in Georgia.
In a parallel development, UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk stated that the newly passed foreign agents law was a blatant disregard for warnings from human rights organizations, as it undermines the country’s freedom of expression. Since April, at least 300 people partaking in the protests have been arrested and several have reportedly faced police brutality.
The unfolding events go to show the deeply contested nature of this new law, its implications for civil societies and the media in Georgia, and the growing international concern surrounding it. The pathway ahead, both for the Georgian government and those opposing it on the streets of Tbilisi, promises to be a crucial testing ground for the country’s democratic norms.