Today, Wednesday, Georgian parliament members engaged in a brawl under the dome of the parliament just before the start of a general session, following disagreements over the "foreign agents" law. Opposition MP Salome Samadashvili shared a video of the altercation on social media, writing, "This video shows everyone how they use physical force against everyone."
In a related development, a protest against the "foreign agents" law was held in the country's capital, Tbilisi, yesterday, Tuesday. Riot police confronted the demonstrators with pepper spray, water cannons, and rubber bullets during clashes to force them to leave the street where the parliament is located.
Despite violent crackdowns, the Georgian people are unwaveringly defending the country’s democracy and European future. It’s 3 AM in Georgia and thousands remain on Rustaveli avenue near the Parliament.
In response, the country's president, Salome Zourabichvili, called on Interior Minister Vakhtang Gomelauri to cease dispersing the Tbilisi demonstration, describing the protest against the "foreign agents" law as peaceful. The Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs announced that 63 people were arrested during the protest, and 6 police officers were injured. The draft law proposed by the ruling Georgian Dream party seeks to classify media outlets and non-commercial organizations as "foreign-influenced" if they receive more than 20% of their funding from abroad.
