Georgia on crossroads
Typically, like many Georgians, between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. I am at work, eagerly anticipating the evening. However, since 15 April, I have found myself among the many frustrated citizens heading to the parliamentary building after 7 p.m. to join the mass demonstrations taking place. Following the reintroduction of the ”Agents of Foreign Influence” law, famously known as the ”Russian Law,” by the governing Georgian Dream party in April, I, along with many of my compatriots, have taken to the streets in protest, rallying to defend our democracy and our aspirations towards the EU.
As I stand before our parliament building in Tbilisi, I tune into the atmosphere of the demonstration through snippets of conversation from fellow participants: ”Tear gas won’t affect us anymore,” ”Will they deploy the water cannons today? I haven't showered,” ”Enduring these demonstrations for so long is excruciating.”
The controversial law
It has been two weeks since the introduction of the controversial law. The legislation, which aims to register non-commercial entities and media outlets receiving over 20% of funding from overseas as ”agents of foreign influence,” is expected to, in reality, create a chilling effect on those benefiting from foreign funds rather than ”promote transparency.” Amid heated discussions, a decree was issued by the chairman of the parliament, barring all online media outlets perceived as being funded by ”foreign forces” from attending the debate, and opening the door to the highest level of censorship. The conflict peaked during deliberations, when the leader of the parliamentary majority, Mamuka Mdinaradze, was physically assaulted by the opposition leader, Aleko Elisashvili. Shortly after, Elisashvili was apprehended by the police during the demonstration, only to be released a day later with severe injuries.
What is on the line
The passing of this law will determine the political trajectory of Georgia, either aligning it with EU aspirations or reverting to Russian influence. Entities such as the US State Department, the NATO secretary general, and several European Parliament members have voiced their concern: legislation similar to ”Agents of Foreign Influence” will hinder any European future for Georgia.
The Georgian Prime Minister Kobakhidze insisted that the law would ensure ”the state’s safe transition to the EU” by preventing the ”Ukrainization”, i.e, armed conflict with Russia, of Georgia. The Russian far-right political philosopher Aleksandr Dugin – often referred to as ”Putin’s Brain” – wrote that ”Georgia is on the right track.”
However, President Salome Zourabichvili confronted the Georgian Dream party, labelling it as a ”Russian Dream.” In the case of the adoption of the ”Agents of Foreign Influence” law, the president promised to represent the ”people’s will” by vetoing the legislation, despite the likelihood of it being overridden by parliament.
As protests continue, most of them are peaceful during the day, but at night they are met with violent crackdowns. As of now, around 28 people have been detained and reportedly beaten by the police. The political activists and online media outlet representatives were treated with extreme brutality, videos of them being cornered in the streets are circulating throughout social media platforms. Nevertheless, people continue to show resistance and stand in defence of Georgia’s plea for a democratic, open, and European society.