Yes to Europe! No to Russian Law - with this slogan, a rally-march was held in Tbilisi on April 9, where the participants protested the re-initiation of the draft law on so-called foreign agents by the ruling Georgian Dream. Citizens claimed that today the European future of Georgia is to be protected.
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The procession of thousands of people, carrying the flags of Georgia and the European Union, started from Republic Square and ended in front of the Parliament building. The participants of the rally completely occupied the highway.
"No matter how many times they twist the law that kills our European perspective, the Georgian society will not get bored and will say what it has to say. This is just the beginning, and I am sure that no matter how many days it takes, the entire Georgian society will stand up because no one else will protect our freedom. No matter how harsh statements international organizations make, we should be here, always there, where we will protect our future," said the former public defender, Nino Lomjaria.
The purpose of today's rally was to show once again that a regime like Putin's Russia will never set foot in Georgia, she said.
"We have no right today not to protect the gains made by those who died for the independence of Georgia on April 9, 1989. We have no right to question the Independence Act of April 9, 1991, and we have no right not to defend last year's achievement, when, through the efforts of Georgian youth, their struggle, principledness, and perseverance, we got a European perspective. The whole of Europe noted that it is the result of the March struggles of Georgian society that today we have the status of a candidate. Everything will be decided soon. The window is too short and small for Georgia to exit the free world and return to natural development. We are at this crossroads, and it is more than symbolic that today the Georgian society gathered very spontaneously, very suddenly. This will be strengthened," noted the poet Rati Amaghlobeli.
The next action will be held on April 15, at the session of the legal committee of the Parliament, in parallel with the consideration of the draft law on so-called agents.
Georgian Dream intends to have the parliament adopt the Russian law on so-called foreign agents in all three readings by the end of the current session, which it refused in March 2023 due to protests and international pressure. The text of the draft law remains the same - only "agent of foreign influence" has been replaced by the term "organization carrying out the interests of a foreign power". Honorary chairman of the party Bidzina Ivanishvili supports the re-initiation of the Russian law. The Russian law is criticized by the United States of America and the European Union, as well as the United Nations and NATO. Strategic partners believe that such a law will divert Georgia from the European path and will negatively affect the work of independent non-governmental and media organizations.
