Georgian police and protesters clash after parliament passes draft ‘foreign agents’ bill

Police in the Georgian capital Tbilisi clashed with protesters on March 8, 2023, after the country’s parliament passed the first reading of a draft law on “foreign agents”. The controversial law would impose registration requirements on NGOs and independent media with foreign ties. Critics say the bill is reminiscent of Russia’s legislation used to crack down on dissent and would hurt the country’s bid to join the European Union.