https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2024/05/02/georgia-protests-corruption-russia-ivanishvili/
While America is focused on the college students occupying campus greens, halfway across the globe tens of thousands of Georgians have taken to the streets of Tbilisi to protest the government’s decision to pass a far-reaching foreign-agents law intended to stifle free expression in the country. We have recently returned from Georgia, where we witnessed citizens gathering nightly along the river leading into Tbilisi’s main square.
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Since we left, the protests have grown even more intense. On Tuesday, police used tear gas, water cannons and stun grenades against demonstrators. This only attracted more people to the streets, leading to frightening scenes Wednesday night:
Police appear to have used rubber bullets against protesters. And although the Ministry of Internal Affairs denies the charge, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty confirmed their use. Pictures of the wounded are all over Georgian social media.
Tamara Chergoleishvili, founder of the independent news site Tabula and a veteran of Georgia’s democratic opposition, said she had never seen so many people in the streets.
The size and scope of the protests are a testament to how terrible the proposed law is. It requires all people and entities that receive more than 20 percent of their funding from outside Georgia to register as foreign agents — even if they are not acting on behalf of a foreign country. It would allow the government to closely monitor all the organizations it covers: religious, academic, humanitarian and civic groups, as well as media, watchdog and election-monitoring groups. Any that refuse to register would face hefty fines designed to drive them out of business or into exile.