More than 50 thousand people took to the streets in Georgia against the ‘dictatorship’ of the government
Large scale protests are being held against the government in Georgia. On Saturday, more than 50 thousand people continued to protest peacefully in the Georgian capital during rain. Their protest is about the Foreign Agent Bill, which is being described as a law like Russia. The general public is calling it a Kremlin style bill. They believe that this law is a preparation to tighten the noose on the general public. Last year, the ruling Georgian Dream Party had dropped the bill after protests over it. Now the government has brought the bill again, due to which controversy has arisen again.
Meanwhile, America’s reaction to the Foreign Agent Bill has come to the fore. White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan posted on X that he is very concerned about the crackdown on democracy in Georgia. Georgian lawmakers face an important choice, whether they support the Euroatlantic aspirations of the Georgian people or pass a Kremlin-style Foreign Agents law that is contrary to democratic values. America stands with the Georgian people.
Protesters against the Georgian government gathered on Tbilisi’s Central Europe Square on Saturday evening. Amid heavy rain, the protesters chanted “No to Russian law!”, “No to Russian dictatorship!” One of the protesters, Mariam Munergia, 39, who works for a German company, said that we are protecting our European future and our freedom. She fears that the country is moving in the direction of Russia. Lela Tsiklauri, a 38-year-old Georgian language teacher, says that she does not need to return to the Soviet Union.
Police had lathicharged the protesters
The European Union, the US and the United Nations have raised their voices against this law. UN human rights chief Volker Turk has also expressed concern over police violence against protesters. Georgian police had used excessive force during the demonstration on April 30, after which the demonstration ended. Police were accused of firing tear gas, water cannon and rubber bullets and beating and arresting many people.
