Georgia: Police and pro-EU protesters clash in Tbilisi for second night
Thousands of people have rallied on the streets of the Georgian capital, Tbilisi, for a second day to oppose a proposed law some see as stifling freedom of expression.
Police used water cannon and tear gas to disperse some of the protesters who were seen tearing down metal barriers in front of the Parliament building.
Footage shared on Twitter shows officers, many with helmets and riot gear, pulling people away by the hands and arms.
Rustaveli, the central avenue in Tbilisi where the protest broke out, was split in two – between protesters and special forces stationed on the spot.
Clouds of tear gas rose above the streets around Parliament and those at the scene reported it was “unable to breathe”.
Local people said people built barricades out of street benches and trash cans to protect themselves from the tear gas pods.
Meanwhile, others have taken shelter at nearby subway stations.
Streets were flooded with water from cannons and at least one police car had overturned.
Crowds were ordered to disperse and there were reports of people being injured.
Unlike Tuesday night’s violent clashes, there were no signs of protesters throwing petrol bombs or stones at authorities.
They carried flags of Georgia and the European Union, shouted “No to the Russian law” and sang the Ukrainian national anthem.
“Now the time has come when we will be directly attacked by the government,” said 24-year-old journalist Mikheil Gvadzabia.
“It is very clear that more and more people are realizing that this is scary and that they should fight for their future.”
Software engineer Vakhtang Berikashvili said: “We cannot allow our country to become pro-Russian or a Russian state or undemocratic.
“We have no other choice: Georgia is either democratic or there is no Georgia. We will win.’
At least 77 people have been arrested in Tuesday’s violent protests, which began when lawmakers approved a first reading of the Russian-inspired law.
It requires all groups that receive more than 20% of their funding from abroad to register as “foreign agents” or face significant fines.
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https://metro.co.uk/2023/03/08/georgia-police-and-pro-eu-protesters-clash-for-second-night-in-tbilisi-18410128/ Georgia: Police and pro-EU protesters clash in Tbilisi for second night