TBILISI, Georgia (AP) — Dozens of people have been arrested in Georgia after police in the capital used tear gas and water cannons to disperse protesters who rallied outside Parliament to protest a controversial bill which they argue limits media freedom.
Georgia’s Interior Ministry said 63 people were arrested Tuesday while they took part in a demonstration in Tbilisi. Levan Khabeishvili, an opposition MP, posted a picture of himself on his social media accounts with a bloodied face and heavy bruising. Members of his party said he had been assaulted by police.
Those arrested were taking part in the latest in a series of protests against a bill which would require media and non-commercial organizations to register as “pursuing the interests of a foreign power” if they get more than 20% of their funding from abroad.
The protesters have denounced it as “the Russian law” because Moscow uses similar legislation to stigmatize independent news media and organizations critical of the Kremlin.