Thousands protest outside Georgia parliament against foreign influence bill
BBC NewsMay 05
Georgia Passes Divisive 'Foreign Influence' Bill Amid Mass Protests
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The Facts
Thousands of protesters took to the streets of Georgia’s capital Tbilisi after the country's parliament passed a divisive "foreign influence" bill on Tuesday. Thirteen protesters were reportedly arrested.
Passed in its third and final reading by 84 votes to 30, the law requires independent media and non-governmental organizations to register as entities "bearing the interests of a foreign power" if their funding is more than 20% foreign.
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
The passing of this anti-democratic bill looks to align Georgia with Russia, defying the will of the people who seek to integrate with Europe and break away from the malign influence of Moscow. If Georgia wants to make an enemy of the West, while launching further crackdowns on its own people, the West will have to consider sanctions.
Establishment-critical narrative
As can be seen by the presence of EU officials giving speeches in the streets of Tsibili during protests, Western countries are once again meddling in the internal politics of Georgia as they have done elsewhere. This further underscores why such a foreign agents bill is necessary.
