Dozens of people have been injured as police efforts to quell mass protests in Georgia turned violent overnight.
Police used tear gas and water cannons in an attempt to disperse the crowd that had been massing for days outside the parliament building in the country's capital, Tbilisi.
The protesters were voicing their opposition to a law backed by the government that critics say puts Georgia on a Russia-like path to stifled freedom of speech.
Some protesters were blasted to the ground as police in riot gear directed the water cannons at them.
One woman waved a giant EU flag at authorities as she dodged the stream of water.
Earlier in the day, the crowd had gathered outside parliament, blocking the entrances and chanting "No to Russian law!" "Russians!" "Slaves!".
Some people had pulled aside light metal barriers intended to keep the public away from the building.
A police report described early protesters throwing Molotov cocktails and stones at authorities.
More than 60 people were arrested, including one of Georgia's opposition leaders, Zurab Japaridze.
Mr Japaridze's wife claimed officers had used pepper spray and assaulted her husband on social media.
That claim, as well as others of police abuse of power, is now being investigated by Georgian's state services.
The Georgian government said 50 police officers had been injured in the clashes.
On Monday, a fistfight erupted between politicians in Georgia's parliament over the controversial bill.
The law would require organisations receiving more than 20 per cent of their funding from overseas to register as "foreign agents", and submit to monitoring by the justice ministry, or face hefty fines.
Critics have compared it to a 2012 Russian law, which has been used to crack down on Russia's civil society and independent media.
In Russia, the comparative foreign agent law is often used to shut down organisations and news outlets that report voices critical of the government.
Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili said she supported the protesters in a video filmed during an official visit to the US.
"I am standing in New York, and behind me is the Statue of Liberty. This is is a symbol for which Georgia has always fought, for which we have come to this day," Ms Zourabichvili said.
"I am with you, because today you represent free Georgia.
"Georgia, which sees its future in Europe and will not give anyone the right to take this future. This law must be abolished in any form," she said.
The bill sailed passed its first reading with a 76-13 majority, but needs to pass a second and third to become law.
The Georgian president said she would veto the law, but parliament has the power to overrule her with a majority.
Russian influence is a loaded subject in Georgia as one fifth of the country's internationally recognised territory is under occupation by Kremlin-backed separatists.
The proposed law casts fears of an authoritarian shift in Georgia that would endanger the country's hopes of joining the European Union and NATO.
On Wednesday, members of the European parliament issued a statement condemning the proposed foreign agents law, and urged the Georgian government to "refrain from further attempts to discredit and limit the role of civil society".
"We are convinced this law is incompatible with EU values and standards and seriously jeopardises Georgia's pro-European path," the statement said.
Georgia applied for membership to the EU in March 2022, and has been given a list of reforms by the bloc to make it eligible to join.
It made its bid for NATO in the 1990s and in 2008 was promised a seat at the table once it met the requirements.
The protests have been likened to the Ukrainian Maidan revolution of 2014, which saw deadly protests following then-president Viktor Yanukovych's choice to deepen ties with Russia over the EU.
Georgian opposition leader Nika Melia has committed to organising further protests against the bill
"Every day will be like this. No matter how many times they disperse us, no matter how much gas they use, we will gather again and again, and there should be more of us," they said.
ABC/wires
