TBILISI -- Tens of thousands of people took to the streets in Georgia on May 2 to protest against the government's push to approve a controversial "foreign agents" bill a day after a violent protest that eyewitnesses say police attempted to disperse using rubber bullets.
Protests took place late on May 2 in front of parliament in Tbilisi and on Heroes' Square, where demonstrators blocked a key intersection.
Some demonstrators were arrested in Heroes' Square as police made attempts to clear the roadway, but it soon filled up with people again after those protesting in front of the parliament building marched to Heroes' Square.
The country has been rocked by days of protests over the proposed law, denounced by opponents as being inspired by similar repressive legislation in Russia that Moscow has used to stifle dissent.
The bill would require organizations receiving more than 20 percent of their funding from abroad to register as agents of foreign influence. Opponents warn that implementing the law could jeopardize the country's move toward European Union membership.
Activists and opposition politicians earlier on May 2 called for another mass protest after 15 people with various injuries were transported to hospitals for medical assistance following a demonstration on May 1 in Tbilisi.
The events on May 1 turned violent, and in at least eight cases the victims claimed they were hit by rubber bullets. RFE/RL gathered eyewitness accounts, photographic evidence of injuries, interviewed two of the injured, and filmed the rubber bullets at the scene where they were reportedly fired.
The evidence seen by RFE/RL is consistent with injuries caused by rubber bullets, but Deputy Interior Minister Aleksandre Darakhvelidze denied the use of rubber bullets against demonstrators when he addressed reporters at a press briefing.
Darakhvelidze told reporters early on May 2 that "no rubber bullets" were used by law enforcement officers "although there were sufficient legal reasons for their use."
Davit Tamazashvili, a freelance reporter, was at the car entrance of the parliament building where demonstrators attempting to block the gate were hit by pepper spray, water cannons, and what appeared to be rubber bullets.
Tamazashvili showed his injuries to RFE/RL on May 2 and recalled the events of the previous night, telling RFE/RL he was adjusting his camera when suddenly the shooting started and he felt three bullets hit his legs.
"I was wearing thick jeans, which saved me. Some people who were hit on the hand bled immediately...but my thick jeans protected me," he said.
A tear gas canister also was thrown at the protesters, he said, noting that surveillance cameras in the area would have recorded the incidents and it should be possible to determine who fired the rubber bullets and threw the tear gas.
Georgia's Special Investigation Service said a probe into excessive force against the demonstrators was ongoing.
The May 1 demonstration -- one of the largest the country has ever seen -- took place after the legislation was advanced in a second-reading vote. A third and final reading vote is expected on May 17.
UN human rights chief Volker Turk voiced concern about Georgian authorities' treatment of protesters. Turk also urged the authorities to withdraw the law and engage in dialogue with civil society and journalists, who risk being affected by the proposed legislation.
"I am concerned by reports of unnecessary and disproportionate use of force by law enforcement personnel against demonstrators and media workers in Georgia's capital, Tbilisi, this week," he said.
A wave of anger has washed across Georgia since the ruling Georgian Dream party said it was reintroducing a slightly modified version of legislation that protests forced it to back away from last year.
Police In Georgia Use Tear Gas, Water Cannons To Disperse Protesters Outside Of Parliament
Critics call the bill "the Russian law," a reference to the "foreign agent" law that the government in Moscow has used to silence critics. Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili, who has distanced herself from the policies of the ruling party, has promised to veto the law if it is formally adopted in a third reading, as expected.
The Georgian Foreign Ministry on May 2 refused an invitation from the United States to speak directly with U.S. officials, U.S. Ambassador Robin Dunnigan said.
"Recently we have invited senior members of the Georgian Government to engage directly with the most senior leaders in the United States to discuss our strategic partnership and any concerns with U.S. assistance; unfortunately, the Georgian side chose not to accept this invitation," she said in a statement on X, formerly Twitter.
A statement from the Georgian Foreign Ministry said the invitation was rejected because there was a condition that the parliament temporarily stop the discussion of the draft law. This prerequisite "does not correspond to the spirit of partnership," the ministry statement said.
Dunnigan's statement, which also urged Georgia to "recommit the country to its Euro-Atlantic future, as written in Georgia's constitution," makes no reference to any conditions for holding talks.
Western countries from the EU and the United States have expressed concern over the legislation and the crackdown on those voicing their opposition.
"The statements and actions of the Georgian government are incompatible with the democratic values that underpin membership in the EU and NATO and thus jeopardize Georgia's path to Euro-Atlantic integration," the U.S. State Department said in a statement.
"The United States condemns the Kremlin-inspired 'foreign influence' legislation advanced in Georgia's parliament...and the false narrative government officials have adopted to defend it."
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warned that the South Caucasus country was at a crossroads and should "stay the course" on the road to Europe.
"I am following the situation in Georgia with great concern and condemn the violence on the streets of Tbilisi," von der Leyen wrote on the social media platform X, formerly Twitter.
She added in a statement that "the European Union has also clearly expressed its concerns regarding the law on foreign influence. The Georgian people want a European future for their country."
Meanwhile, the international hacking collective Anonymous claimed responsibility on May 2 for hacking the websites of the Georgian Dream party and pro-government PosTV television channel. The two websites have been inaccessible since late on May 1.
Anonymous called the move "a response to police violence against the protesters against the law in question" and warned that more government websites will be hacked over "inhumane actions of the Georgian police against their own citizens."
