• Tens of thousands of protesters rallied in Tbilisi, Georgia against a proposed “foreign agents” bill, which critics say is similar to a Russian law used to silence critics (AP News, Yahoo News, The Guardian, Hürriyet Daily News, Jordan Times, Al Arabiya, BBC Persian).
  • The bill would require organizations receiving more than 20% of their funding from abroad to register as “foreign agents” or face fines (AP News, Yahoo News, The Guardian, Financial Times).
  • Protesters clashed with police, who used water cannons and tear gas to disperse the crowds. Dozens of protesters were arrested (AP News, Yahoo News, Fox News, DW, Izvestia, Gazeta.ru).
  • Opposition leader Zurab Japaridze was beaten by riot police during the protests (Yahoo News).
  • The ruling Georgian Dream party announced it would “unconditionally withdraw” the bill after the protests (The Guardian, Financial Times).
  • President Salome Zourabichvili supported the protests and vowed to veto the bill (DW Ukrainian, The Guardian).
  • The U.S. and EU condemned the bill, with the EU saying it was incompatible with EU values and standards (AP News, Yahoo News, Hürriyet Daily News, Al Jazeera Balkans).
  • The protests reflect concerns over Russian influence in Georgia and the country’s democratic backsliding (AP News, The Guardian, Foreign Policy).
  • Some analysts suggest that certain forces in Georgia want to turn the country into an anti-Russian platform (Izvestia).
  • The Georgian parliament canceled a plenary session after protesters attempted to break in (Izvestia, Gazeta.ru).

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