A Georgian Dream rally was held in Tbilisi in support of the law on “foreign agents”

In Tbilisi, about one hundred thousand people took part in a rally in support of the law on “foreign agents,” which was organized by the ruling Georgian Dream party.

The party called on supporters to come to the rally to gain support during the confrontation with the opposition in connection with the bill “On Transparency of External Influence,” which was adopted by parliament only in the first reading. Opponents of the authorities call this bill the “law on foreign agents” or the “Russian law.”

At the rally, in addition to Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze and Chairman of Parliament Shalva Papuashvili, the founder of the Georgian Dream, billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, who holds the position of honorary chairman of the party, also spoke. During his speech, he promised supporters “to prevent the return to power” of Mikheil Saakashvili and his United National Movement party. Ivanishvili accused “certain forces in the West” of lobbying the interests of “anti-people forces” who are ready to plunge Georgia into a new war.

Among the rally participants there were also many employees of budgetary organizations. This circumstance was not hidden by the authorities: Deputy Speaker of Parliament Mamuka Mdinaradze said a few days ago, announcing the holding of a “national meeting”, that “public sector employees” also have the right to express their opinions.

Since Monday morning, opposition television companies have been reporting from several regions of Georgia, where teachers, kindergarten teachers, and municipal workers boarded buses and went to the capital “for a rally.”

Famous film director Georgy Khaindrava said in an interview with Radio Liberty that by coming to the rally he was “defending the state sovereignty of Georgia and protecting the country from attempts to stage a coup.”

The day before, an opposition rally took place at the same place, during which the police used pepper spray several times. Special forces units blocked all approaches to the side gates of the parliament building. Collisions were avoided. The Ministry of Internal Affairs arrested only one participant in the rally – he turned out to be former State Minister for European and NATO Integration Alexy Petriashvili. A report was drawn up against him under the article of disobedience to legal demands of the police. Petriashvili faces a fine or administrative arrest.

On Monday, the parliamentary legal affairs committee held a second hearing on the bill. Salome Samadashvili, a deputy from the opposition Lelo party and former Georgian ambassador to the EU, said that she was forcibly removed from the hall on the orders of the committee chairman for violating regulations. “I tried to say that by adopting this law, Georgia risks losing the visa-free regime with the EU, but I was expelled,” Salome Samadashvili told Radio Liberty.

During the discussion, the opposition tried to prove to their colleagues from the ruling party that their references to legislation similar in form, but not in essence and purpose, in the USA, France and other democratic countries are absolutely unacceptable in the Georgian situation. According to them, unlike Western countries, Georgia does not yet have such democratic institutions as rotation of power and an independent judicial system. In this regard, oppositionists believe that this law will certainly lead to repression and infringement of the freedoms of citizens, as happened in Russia.