This blog is now closed. For all of our coverage on the Georgia protests see our main stories.
A summary of today's developments
Riot police confronted protesters in Georgia on Tuesday after its parliament passed a divisive “foreign agent” law. Protests outside Georgia’s parliament intensified over the bill, condemned as a Kremlin-inspired act of repression. A number of demonstrators were treated by medics after teargas was used by police on a crowd of a few thousand people, while squads of police dragged some individuals away. Thirteen protesters were detained near parliament, The Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs said.
The violence spread into the chamber, with a dozen MPs fighting and one MP, from the governing Georgian Dream party, being held back by security guards as he violently lurched at the chair of the main opposition, Levan Khabeishvili. Under the legislation, media or civil society groups in Georgia that receive more than 20% of their funding from abroad will have to register as “organisations serving the interests of a foreign power”.
Georgia has been warned by the US government not to become an adversary of the west by falling back in line with Moscow, as its parliament defied mass street protests to pass a “Kremlin-inspired” law. The US assistant secretary of state Jim O’Brien spoke of his fears that the passing by Georgia’s parliament of a “foreign agents” bill on Tuesday could be yet another “turning point” in the former Soviet state’s troubled history. In comments that appeared to signal a conviction in Washington that the Georgian government was once again aligning with Russia, O’Brien suggested US funding could soon be pulled.
Georgia’s prime minister Irakli Kobakhidze responded to the statement made by James O’Brien. Kobakhidze said: “Pragmatically speaking, sanctions would only harm those who are imposing them. “We do not want the US reputation to get spoiled and we call on our partners to think about partnerships.”
The UK’s minister for Europe, Nusrat Ghani, said the scenes in Georgia are “shocking” and “as friends of Georgia we call for calm and restraint on all sides.”
Thousands of people blocked roads in Heroes Square in Tbilisi, Georgia, to protest against a ‘foreign agents’ bill, which had passed into law earlier in the day.
Here is the full story of today’s events from Daniel Boffey in Tblisi.
Georgia has been warned by the US government not to become an adversary of the west by falling back in line with Moscow, as its parliament defied mass street protests to pass a “Kremlin-inspired” law.
The US assistant secretary of state Jim O’Brien spoke of his fears that the passing by Georgia’s parliament of a “foreign agents” bill on Tuesday could be yet another “turning point” in the former Soviet state’s troubled history.
In comments that appeared to signal a conviction in Washington that the Georgian government was once again aligning with Russia, O’Brien suggested US funding could soon be pulled.
Billions of dollars had been spent by the US on rebuilding Georgia after the fall of the Soviet Union and hundreds of millions more were planned for the country’s economy and military, he said.
13 protesters detained near parliament, internal affairs ministry says
Thirteen protesters were detained near parliament, The Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs said.
They are accused of “disobedience to police orders and petty hooliganism”, the BBC reported.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs said following the vote on the bill, the demonstrators broke the protective iron fence installed near parliament and were able to enter the territory of parliament.
In addition, protesters painted various inscriptions on the walls of parliament.
Updated
The foreign affairs committee spokesman of the German Bundestag spoke at the protest rally near the Georgian parliament.
“Don’t believe these lies, these conspiracy theories! We are not radicals. You are not radicals. You are simply the European mainstream because you fight for what Europe really is: democracy, freedom, the rule of law!” said Michael Roth.
🟢 The chairman of the foreign affairs committee of the German Bundestag, @MiRo_SPD , addressed the participants of the Tbilisi rally.
— Aprili.Media (@ApriliMedia) May 14, 2024
❗️Georgians continue to protest against the Russian law that was adopted today. #TbilisiProtests pic.twitter.com/z8alb9QDom
According to the BBC he was joined by members of the parliaments of Lithuania, Poland, Czech Republic and Finland.
Mariam Kasrashvili has posted pictures of the demonstrators at Heroes Square.
#Tbilisi
— Mariam Kasrashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@KasrashviliM) May 14, 2024
Heroes Square now
Stakes of our current fight are too high!
We can’t give up on our homeland 🇬🇪🇪🇺#NotoRussianLaw #Tbilisiprotests
📸Bachana Shengelia pic.twitter.com/JRrnaSeo2z
Europe Square is full
— Mariam Kasrashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@KasrashviliM) May 11, 2024
Europe, can you hear our voice? 🇬🇪🇪🇺#NotoRussianLaw pic.twitter.com/YWrAP51eZl
Footage posted on X by Civil Georgia, a Tbilisi-based news website, shows a large number of protesters at Heroes Square in the city.
Protesters again paralyze Heroes Square, Tbilisi's main traffic artery #TbilisiProtests
— Civil.ge (@CivilGe) May 14, 2024
🎥 Nini Gabritchidze/Civil.ge pic.twitter.com/YT1TT7vQGD
If you’re just joining us now, here’s a catch-up on why protests are happening in Georgia. The country has been rocked for weeks by demonstrations against a bill that forcing non-governmental groups and media to register as “organisations serving the interest of a foreign power” if more than 20% of their funding comes from overseas.
The bill passed on Tuesday. Protesters, largely young people, say it will sabotage the Caucasus country’s hopes of joining the EU and stifle civil society. It has been described as “the Russian law” by critics as it resembles repressive legislation used by the Kremlin.
Georgia, with a population of 3.7 million, joined countries trying to gain accession to the EU when it was granted official candidate status last December. The political crisis comes at a time when many Georgians fear their country is moving away from the west.
The government, which has been in power for 12 years, claims to be pro-EU but it has avoided placing sanctions on Russia over the war in Ukraine and critics claim it has been seeking to strengthen ties with the Kremlin. There are fears among the government’s critics that the ruling Georgian Dream party could crack down on dissent before parliamentary elections later this year.
Georgia's prime minister pushes back against US sanctions threat
Georgia’s prime minister Irakli Kobakhidze has responded to the earlier statement made by James O’Brien, US assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian Affairs, who said the US would impose financial and travel “restrictions” over violence against peaceful protesters, the BBC reported.
Kobakhidze said: “Pragmatically speaking, sanctions would only harm those who are imposing them.
“We do not want the US reputation to get spoiled and we call on our partners to think about partnerships.”
The pair had met earlier on Tuesday.
Held a lengthy meeting with the US Assistant Secretary Jim O'Brien, @StateEUR, with a frank discussion of all topics related to 🇬🇪- 🇺🇸 relations, including the development of events in 🇬🇪 in the past several years. During the meeting, we exchanged concerns about these events. I… pic.twitter.com/daQvEXFhCR
— Irakli Kobakhidze (@PM_Kobakhidze) May 14, 2024
Updated
Thousands of protesters close major intersection in Georgia's capital
Thousands of protesters have caused a major intersection in the capital Tbilisi to be closed after the country’s parliament passed the foreign agent law in the third reading, an eyewitness told Reuters.
Some demonstrators have moved away from the Parliament building and converged on Heroes Square, an intersection controlling traffic between different neighbourhoods.
Updated
White House 'deeply troubled' by 'Kremlin-style' foreign agents law
The White House said on Tuesday the US is “deeply troubled” by Georgia’s “Kremlin-style” foreign agents legislation, which Western countries have criticised as authoritarian and Russian-inspired.
“We are deeply troubled by Georgia’s Kremlin-style legislation,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said.
“If this legislation passes, this will compel us to fundamentally reassess our relationship with Georgia.”
Updated
The president of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, said it “stands with the people of Georgia”.
In a post on X, Metsola wrote: “Tbilisi, we hear you! We see you!”
She added Georgians on the streets “want a European future” and “expect European values and standards”.
Georgia’s president responded on X by thanking Metsola for her “personal commitment”.
Tbilisi, we hear you! We see you!
— Roberta Metsola (@EP_President) May 14, 2024
Georgians on the streets are dreaming of Europe.
Proudly waving the European flag.
They want a European future. They expect European values and standards.
@Europarl_EN stands with the people of Georgia.
Here is footage of Georgian protesters opposed to a ‘foreign influence’ bill picketing the country’s parliament amid a major police presence during the third, and final reading of the bill. Police attempted to disperse demonstrators and people were seen being detained.
US spokesman says 'foreign agents' law is 'wrenching apart' Georgia's partnership with US
The US’s assistant secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs James C. O’Brien said the new law passed is “wrenching apart” Georgia’s partnership with the US.
He added he was very clear that there will be consequences if the law was implemented.
O’Brien said if there is violence against peaceful demonstrators, the US would look at financial and travel restrictions on those responsible.
Updated
Petre Tsiskarishvili, a secretary-general of the main opposition United National Movement and a former Georgian MP, said the election in October election is when the Georgian public should “basically go on a referendum” and make a final decision which way we want to go, the BBC reported.
“What is the aspiration of the Georgian people? Is it the European integration or these Russia style laws and this government that initiates and tables the legislation that copies the Russian style authoritarianism.”
Tsiskarishvili added: “The president can veto the bill but they only need a simple majority to override it within the next couple of weeks, so the turbulence on the streets, the protests and rallies, will go on to the last minute.”
The UK’s minister for Europe, Nusrat Ghani, said the scenes in Georgia are “shocking” and “as friends of Georgia we call for calm and restraint on all sides.”
In a statement, Ghani said: “Today the Georgian Parliament again voted in support of the Law on Transparency of Foreign Influence. Like our partners, the UK strongly opposes the introduction of this legislation.
“This draft law and the accompanying orchestrated intimidation of protestors are not in line with the democratic values of a NATO aspirant country and fundamentally risk derailing Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic aspirations.
“As I said to the Georgian Ambassador when we spoke earlier today, we are watching with deep concern. I now urge the Government of Georgia to change course and withdraw this legislation.”
Updated
Lithuanian president Gitanas Nauseda signals support for protesters
Lithuanian president Gitanas Nauseda says his country stands with the the Georgian people.
“Nobody has the right to take your European dream away,” he wrote on X.
Dear Georgian people, we hear you & stand with you in your struggle for the European future of #Georgia.
— Gitanas Nausėda (@GitanasNauseda) May 14, 2024
Nobody has the right to take your European dream away.
Nobody has the right to silence the will of the people to live by 🇪🇺 values.
Updated
Here is an explainer by my colleague Lili Bayer on the reasons behind the protests.
Riot police withdraw to cheers of protesters outside Tbilisi parliament
An army of riot police that violently pushed protesters away from the front of the Parliament in Tbilisi has withdrawn.
Protestors cheered and blew whistles as the officers suddenly retreated back into the parliamentary estate.
It is not clear why the officers were moved from the streets just hours after using tear gas to disperse the crowds.
But the latest demonstration has vastly increased in size in the last two hours as the working day has come to an end.
Updated
Georgian politicians came to blows in parliament on Tuesday ahead of a vote on a controversial ‘foreign agents’ bill that would require organisations receiving more than 20% of their funding from abroad to register as foreign influence agents.
Riot police move in on protesters after ‘foreign agents’ bill passed into law
Protests outside Georgia’s parliament are intensifying after a “foreign agents” bill – condemned as a Kremlin-inspired act of repression – was passed into law on Tuesday.
A number of demonstrators were treated by medics after teargas was used by police on a crowd of a few thousand people, while squads of police dragged some individuals away.
The violence spread into the chamber, with a dozen MPs fighting and one MP, from the governing Georgian Dream party, being held back by security guards as he violently lurched at the chair of the main opposition, Levan Khabeishvili.
Under the legislation, media or civil society groups in Georgia that receive more than 20% of their funding from abroad will have to register as “organisations serving the interests of a foreign power”.
Updated
