The parliament's approval of a bill restricting press freedom and human rights prompted thousands of demonstrators to gather in Georgia's capital for a second day of demonstrations.
The police used a water cannon and pepper spray to remove the protesters on Tuesday. The government reported 50 injured police personnel and damaged equipment, per the BBC.
About 66 individuals were apprehended, including a leader of the opposition who was said to have been manhandled. Wednesday's protest followed parliament's first reading of the legislation.
The proposed legislation "On Transparency of Foreign Influence" purportedly addresses disclosing money flows from outside. However, opponents felt it was a tool for the government to clamp down on opposing voices. The proposed law classifies media organizations as "foreign agents" if they get more than 20% of their money from outside. If they fail to declare themselves as such, they may risk heavy penalties and incarceration.
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Critics have referred to a similar rule approved in Russia, where any organization or person getting financial help from outside or under some "foreign influence" is deemed a "foreign agent."
According to Al Jazeera, Georgia's former minister of education, Ghia Nodia, said the bill would certainly impede press freedom in a nation where the government controls most of the media. An EU statement warned that the measure would be "incompatible with EU standards and values" and might have a "serious" impact on its ties with Georgia.
US State Department spokesperson Ned Price warned in February that anyone supporting the proposed law might jeopardize ties between Georgia and the West and Europe, per CNN.
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