In recent weeks, Georgia has been dominated by mass protests against the law on foreign agents, which critics say would bring the country closer to Russia.
The government tried to push through the controversial legislation last year, but withdrew it after a wave of demonstrations. Now, despite public opposition, the standard has passed a second reading.
The police have cracked down hard on protesters in recent days. Tens of thousands of people tried to drive them away from the meeting with tear gas and water cannons. However, the events continued until late.
One of the protesters was Nika Gurini, the founder of the non-profit organization Euro-Atlantic Center, which mainly focuses on education in the Georgian city of Kvareli.
“Georgians feel that they are fighting for their future and freedom. For them, it is not only about this law, because if it passes, Georgia will move closer to Russia, and that would mean a big loss for Georgians. At the same time, people have made it clear many times that they never want to follow the Russian path again,” he says in an interview for Seznam Zprávy.
Protests in Georgia have been going on for several weeks, but in recent days their nature has changed and the police are suppressing them more violently. What did you experience with them?
I am really proud of the Georgian. They protest every day. Yesterday I spent the whole night in the streets until six in the morning. The atmosphere and energy of all the people is incredible. People go to protest wearing diving goggles and face masks to prevent tear gas from getting in their eyes or suffocating them. The police use completely disproportionate force against peaceful protests.
All of them are determined to fight for freedom until the end. I have no doubt that we will win in the end.
Reports from Georgia
Few countries have been transformed by Russia’s incursion into Ukraine as much as Georgia. The Caucasian country, which has a similar experience with Russia as Kiev, stands out against Moscow, but has become home to hundreds of thousands of Russians.
People are coming from all over Georgia, hundreds of buses from different regions were heading to Tbilisi yesterday. People convene on social networks, where young people in particular organize it. Both transportation and accommodation are offered, just to make it possible for as many people as possible to express their opinion. People are really united now and it’s amazing to watch.
What attitudes do people come to demonstrations with?
Georgians feel that they are fighting for their future and freedom. For them, it is not only about this law, because if it passes, Georgia will move closer to Russia, and that would mean a big loss for Georgians. At the same time, people have made it clear many times that they never want to go the Russian way again.
Georgians oppose the rise of a dictatorship, because if this law passes, our regime will really be similar to the Russian one. In addition, Western partners from the EU to the United States have repeatedly told us that if this pro-Russian law is passed, it will be a major blow to our mutual relations.
Photo: Nicolo Vincenzo Malvestuto, Getty Images
Demonstrators tried to block the entrance to the parliament building, the police tried to disperse them. Picture from May 1.
Why does the Foreign Agents Act outrage you?
The government claims that it is about transparency, but it is clear that this is about something else. I am the founder of the non-profit organization Euroatlantic Center and we have been transparent for a long time. Every month we fill out the necessary documentation for the ministries. All of our projects and funding records are publicly available. Of course, much of our funding comes from the West.
But if it were all about the fact that the government wants some documents or more information about the functioning of organizations, it would be enough just to change some laws. There would not have to be a completely new law that tries to stigmatize these organizations.
The government wants to label them as agents who are controlled by some foreign influence. In addition, the term agent has a very negative connotation in our country and could be compared, for example, to the word traitor who supports the interests of a foreign country in his own.
Georgian NGOs do not even necessarily carry out activities that would have any political implications. Yet the government attacks them because they are independent. Organizations, including the one I work for, have already said in advance that under no circumstances will they register as foreign agents. On the other hand, they are very likely to be at risk of having to stop operating.
Another problem is that labeling anyone who cooperates with the West as a foreign agent does the country no good in its relations with the EU or the US. Just the fact that the government wants to label something as influencing by the West doesn’t look good, and it’s not even true.
Three days ago, even the founder of the Georgian Dream and former prime minister Bidzina Ivanishvili criticized the West and praised this law. His entire party uses similar statements.
Photo: Archive of Nika Gurini
Nika Gurini at a demonstration in front of the Georgian Parliament building.
How unusual are such large-scale protests for Georgia?
We already have experience with similar protests from last year, when the government tried to enforce this law. But after a few days, she took it down and the demonstrations ended. But now the protests are bigger, given that the law has already passed the second reading. Many people are on the streets and more are joining.
The government is expected to intensify its crackdown on protesters in the coming days. He does not hide the fact that he strongly condemns the protests. Whether it is the founder of the ruling party, or even our prime minister, everyone warns that they will not behave fairly. This is very disturbing, but Georgians are ready for it. They know this fight for freedom will hurt and it won’t be easy, but they’re not going to give up.
Foreign Influence Act
According to the ruling party Georgian Dream, the upcoming law is intended to bring greater clarity to the financing of non-governmental organizations. Opponents call the document a “Russian law”, modeled after Russia, where similar legislation has allowed the Kremlin to suppress opposition and non-governmental organizations and silence independent media.
The bill requires an organization that receives more than a fifth of its budget from abroad to register as an “organization carrying the interests of a foreign power.”
Protesters fear the proposed foreign influence law could be used to suppress critical voices ahead of parliamentary elections later this year.
The law made it to the third reading, after which it will go to President Salome Zurabishvili, who should sign it. Although she promised to veto the law, Georgian Dream has enough deputies in the parliament to override it.
