This time, they came from all over the country. Thousands of Georgians converged on Tbilisi on Wednesday 1er May evening, to demonstrate against the bill on “foreign influence”, defend the democratic values and the European future of this former Soviet republic in the South Caucasus, more threatened than ever.
The text, modeled on a Russian law aimed at breaking up civil society and independent media, was voted on in Parliament the same day, with 83 votes for and 23 against. It still has to pass a third reading, and the president, Salomé Zourabichvili, has said she will veto it, but the ruling party, Georgian Dream, has enough votes not to take it into account.
After three weeks of peaceful demonstrations, the police adopted the strong method, on the night of Tuesday April 30 to Wednesday 1er May, by violently repressing gatherings with water cannons and tear gas. Videos and testimonies also show the use of rubber bullets, which the government has denied. Clashes broke out. At least sixty-three people were arrested; four demonstrators and six police officers were injured, according to authorities.
In a worrying sign, the president of the United National Movement, the main opposition party, Levan Khabeishvili, was violently beaten by riot police. Wednesday evening, while theOde to Joythe anthem of the European Union (EU), the police used pepper spray and water cannons to dislodge a small group of demonstrators who were trying to block the side entrance to Parliament.
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Convictions are increasing after police violence. The US State Department denounced a “unacceptable use of force” and severely condemned “false speech” And “anti-Western” authorities to defend their bill: “The statements and actions of the Georgian government are incompatible with the democratic values that underpin EU and NATO membership. »
The EU’s high representative for foreign affairs, Josep Borrell, also denounced the appeal “unacceptable” to violence. “Georgia is a candidate country for the EUhe recalled. I call on the authorities to guarantee the right to peaceful assembly. » The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, says she is monitoring the situation with “great concern” and condemned the violence. For her part, MEP Viola von Cramon-Taubadel called for “concrete consequences”including the withdrawal of EU candidate status, which Georgia obtained at the end of 2023.
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