Authorities clear protesters from Georgian parliament as lawmakers advance foreign agent bill
May 13 (UPI) -- Crowds in Georgia's capital of Tbilisi protested Sunday night into Monday morning against a proposed "foreign influence" bill that could threaten Geogia's entry into the European Union.
Tens of thousands of protesters shouted "slaves" and "Russians" as members of the ruling Georgian Dream Party arrived at parliament and pushed the legislation through a committee vote in barely more than a minute, setting up a final vote on the measure Tuesday in the former Soviet republic.
If implemented, the measure would require organizations, including the media, to be listed as foreign agents if they receive more than 20% of their funding from outside the country.
"They want to drag us back to autocracy, to the country they occupied us for too many years," a protester told Sky News.
Protesters had sought to block lawmakers from making their way into parliament but Georgian authorities moved in early Monday to clear a path.
Among the 20 people arrested during the current protests included two U.S. citizens, according to the Georgia Ministry of Internal Affairs.
Opponents argued the bill is similar to one passed in Russia that has allowed President Vladimir Putin and the Kremlin to intimidate and even shut organizations with such a designation.
The bill had been a year in the making when protesters were able to derail the legislation, but the Georgia Dream Party appeared to be more prepared to withstand the intensity of the demonstrations.
