Tens of thousands of Georgians flooded the streets, on Monday, protesting a bill currently before the eastern European country's parliament, that would put "Kremlin-style" restrictions on organizations receiving more than 20% of their funding from foreign sources.
In Tbilisi, police officers clashed with protestors, while some activists attempted to block legislators from entering the country's parliament building. Other protestors, braving the rain, waved Georgian, Ukrainian and European Union flags - emphasizing a commitment to joining the EU, rather than aligning with Russia.
"We don't want to be part of Russia," a 22-year-old acting student told CNN. We never wanted to be part of Russia. And it has always been and always will be our goal to be part of Europe."
Opponents of the bill call it "the Russian law," and argue that requiring media outlets, NGOs and other groups to register as "agents of foreign influence" would be comparable to the restrictions that Vladimir Putin puts on his critics, according to CNBC.
The ruling Georgian Dream party argues that the bill will protect Georgians from being used as "cannon fodder" during Western confrontations with Russia, over the invasion of Ukraine.
Members of opposition parties, however, warn that the law would jeopardize Georgia's ability to join the EU. The EU granted Georgia candidate status in December but has said that this law would be a significant obstacle to full admission.
The United States also expressed concerns about the bill contributing to weakening democracy, in the former Soviet republic.
"We are deeply alarmed about democratic backsliding in Georgia," White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan wrote on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.
"Georgian parliamentarians face a critical choice - whether to support the Georgian people's Euro-Atlantic aspirations or pass a Kremlin-style foreign agents' law that runs counter to democratic values," he said. "We stand with the Georgian people."
