Riot police face off against foreign influence bill demonstrators
In Georgia, overnight protests have spilt into the morning in a last-minute bid to halt the approval of a contentious law.
Following a standoff with demonstrators outside parliament in Tbilisi, security forces withdrew from the main square on Monday morning.
The protests are aimed at blocking a controversial foreign influence bill, labelled by critics as the “Russia law”.
The bill is set for final voting on Tuesday. In a swift move on Monday morning, lawmakers from the ruling Georgian Dream party rushed it through a committee vote, passing it in just 67 seconds.
The bill, now heading for its third and final reading, targets civil society groups and independent media that receive foreign funding.
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Protesters fear the law could be wielded by the government to stifle dissent and jeopardise Georgia’s aspirations of EU membership.
Throughout the night, tens of thousands of demonstrators camped outside Tbilisi’s parliament building, braving the rain to voice their opposition.
As dawn broke on Monday, governing party MPs arriving for the session were met with cries of “slaves” and “Russians”.
Police units, equipped with shields and water cannons, stood guard at the building to prevent protesters from impeding lawmakers’ access.
Online images and videos depicted clashes between protesters and law enforcement.
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