People in the country of Georgia are protesting against a new “foreign agents” law that may get passed by the government this week. The law would require non-profit groups and media companies that get a lot of money from other countries to register as “foreign agents.”
Supporters of the law say it will increase transparency about foreign funding of organizations in Georgia. But opponents say the law is similar to one in Russia that has been used to crack down on critics of the Russian government.
The protesters, including many young people, are worried this law could hurt Georgia’s chances of joining the European Union, which Georgia hopes to become a member of. Polls show most people in Georgia want to join the EU.
The protesters are taking to the streets nightly, marching towards the parliament building. They believe this law could pull Georgia closer to Russia’s influence instead of towards Western democratic values like free speech.
Last year, huge protests forced the Georgian government to drop a similar “foreign agents” law. Critics accuse the current government of trying to align Georgia more with Russia instead of the West.
But government officials deny this, saying Russia remains a major threat to Georgia after occupying parts of the country in a 2008 war. They argue the law is just about transparency, not authoritarianism.
So the protests highlight the perceived tug-of-war between Russian and Western influence over Georgia’s future direction as an independent nation.