Lawmakers brawl as Georgian Parliament considers ‘foreign agent’ bill
Al JazeeraApr 04
Georgia: Protesters Demonstrate Against Foreign Influence Law
The Facts
Large protests took place outside the Georgian parliament in the capital Tbilisi on Monday against a draft law on "foreign influence," allegedly modeled on Russian legislation to crack down on dissent.
Over 5K protesters reportedly took to the streets demanding withdrawal of the bill, dubbed the "Russian law" by critics, with 14 protesters detained for public order violations and one police officer injured, according to Georgia's Interior Ministry.
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
The latest protests are impressive proof that Georgians prefer a democratic and prosperous future within the Euro-Atlantic family to the regressive Moscow-style autocratic model. By merely renaming the foreign agents bill, Tbilisi is breaching its commitment to scrap its threat to press freedom ahead of the upcoming elections. The infamous law must be withdrawn immediately to prevent jeopardizing Georgia's EU integration.
Establishment-critical narrative
Contrary to what Western media suggest, it's not the Georgian people protesting against the bill, but the followers of the Western-backed opposition. It should also be noted that the so-called "Russian law" is not inspired by Russian legislation, but rather by the 1938 US Foreign Agents Act — though the Georgian equivalent is far more limited. The West has nothing to offer but empty promises, and it's up to Georgians to decide which path to take.