Astonishing pictures from #Tbilisi#Georgia - a rally of likely 150K+ people against the planned 'foreign agents law' (very much along the lines of what the Kremlin introduced in Russia)
V t.me/nlevshitstelegram
"Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze promised to pass the foreign agents law on Tuesday in its third reading, pledging to punish violent protesters in a press briefing on May 12...The Prime Minister claimed he had 'precise information' that 'violent youth groups organized by the radical opposition and financed from abroad are planning violent actions against the Georgian Parliament and police' in the next two days
In #Tbilisi, clashes erupt between opponents of the "foreign agents" law and the police. Thousands protest against the law, fearing it could stifle dissent, while security forces withdraw from the main square after a standoff. Critics dub it the " #Russia law," with the final vote scheduled for Tuesday.
Really awesome to see @lipsumtype here on the fediverse! Georgian typography is super exciting, I was just in #Tbilisi about 6 months ago and the amount of exciting typography stuff there was super inspiring.
Georgia’s annual LGBT+ Pride event was evacuated by the police on Saturday after hundreds of counter-protesters stormed the site.
In a statement, organisers of the festival in the capital of Tbilisi announced that they had been forced to shut down the annual festivities after the authorities failed to maintain the perimeter. Organisers say the police refused to protect them.
#Georgia feels like an effort to weaken their ties to #Russia and increase them with the #EU, when what the people there probably want is independence from both. To play them off each other for economic advantages. The same deal most of #Ukraine wanted before 2014.
The law they're protesting in #Tbilisi AFAIK is just like the FARA law we have in the US (and Russia). The goal being to know which nations are trying to secretly manipulate your government (like #uspol did).
🇬🇪 World, are you still watching? Tonight might have just been the biggest gathering of #Georgians marching in #Tbilisi against the #Russian violations and law infiltrating the Georgian government! Please watch, share, stand with the brave people of #Georgia!🇬🇪 #NoToRussianLaw