The Georgian Parliament has expeditiously passed a bill in its third and final reading requiring organizers of protests in "places where people gather or where vehicles are moving" (including on sidewalks) to notify the police. The responsible person must contact the Patrol Service Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (located at the location of the demonstration) in writing no later than five days before the rally.
A procession to the parliament building is taking place in Tbilisi, organized by the youth wing of the ruling Georgian Dream party. Later, the column will join a pro-government demonstration for the adoption of a law on foreign agents.
Media reports that in the front row of the march was the youngest son of the honorary chairman of the party, billionaire oligarch Bidzina Ivanishvili. The opposition attributes to him connections with the Russian leadership.
Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili, who opposes the ruling party, commented on the procession: “Yesterday was the 15th day of mass spontaneous protests against the “Russian law” and for the European future of Georgia. Today is a “Putin” action: civil servants “came” to Tbilisi to applaud the decisions of the ruling party. The real Georgia is a free Georgia! European Georgia!
Today, the Georgian Parliamentary Committee supported the bill on foreign agents in the second reading. All opposition was expelled from the meeting room.
The “pro-Russian” law on foreign agents previously adopted by the government was criticized by the European Parliament, senators and the US State Department, as well as the governments of European countries.