Thousands Protest in Tbilisi Against 'Foreign Agents' Bill

Thousands of people gathered in Tbilisi, Georgia, on April 28 to protest against a so-called “foreign agents” bill that could curb the presence of media and non-governmental organizations in the country, local media reported.

Footage by Erika Fatland shows the crowd at Rose Revolution Square.

Fatland wrote on Facebook that the atmosphere at the protest “was mostly peaceful, and the energy and engagement from the thousands of people gathered, young and old, were deeply moving.”

The bill, officially the Law on Transparency of Foreign Influence, would require all non-commercial entities and media organizations receiving more than 20 percent of their funding from abroad to register as foreign agents.

Critics have termed it the “Russian bill”, claiming that it is very similar to Russian laws on foreign agents, according to Jam News.

The EU, for which Georgia is a candidate member, said the bill “raises serious concerns”. Credit: Erika Fatland via Storyful