No to the Russian Law: Everything We Need to Know About the Ongoing Protests in Georgia

"No to the Russian Law" is no longer just a hashtag on social media but a slogan for thousands of people in the streets of Tbilisi and other cities in Georgia; it has been inscribed on the city walls, included by some television networks in their broadcasts, and even brought Georgian protesters to the streets in some European and North American cities. The opposition of a large group of Georgian citizens to the so-called "foreign agents" law has been ongoing for weeks and is expanding. However, the ruling party, "Georgian Dream," has not yielded to these protests and has intensified its approach to dealing with the demonstrators. The number of arrests has increased in recent days, some political figures have been assaulted by unknown individuals at night, and many well-known protesters report receiving threatening calls regarding themselves and their family members from unidentified people. In such an atmosphere, these daily protests have not only not subsided but are also intensifying on the eve of the final approval of the "foreign agents" law. Opponents fear not only the suppression of civil liberties through this law but also a departure from their aspiration to join the European Union. For this reason, flags of the EU are seen throughout the demonstrations. A photographic report: Images of the suppression of protesters during the largest recent demonstrations in Georgia. On Wednesday night, May 1, the largest protests against the "foreign agents" bill, which has been approved by the Georgian parliament, took place and escalated into violence with police intervention. Protesters have labeled this proposal as the "Russian Law" and claim that such a proposal is used in Russia to deal with opponents of Putin. The main focus of the protests has been in front of the Georgian parliament building, and the government has claimed that the protesters intended to enter it. Russia is very unpopular among many Georgian citizens due to the brief war between the two countries in 2008. What is the "foreign agents" law and why do protesters call it the "Russian law"? The proposed bill in Georgia states that non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that receive at least 20% of their funding from foreign countries must register as "foreign agents." Reports indicate that hundreds of NGOs operating in various fields, including media, freedom of expression, minority rights, agriculture, education, etc., will be subject to such a law. The ruling party, "Georgian Dream," claims that this law can prevent the "influence of foreign agents" by creating "transparency." A similar law that is currently under consideration in the Georgian parliament has already been approved in Russia, and its implementation has forced many media outlets and NGOs that received part or all of their funding from outside Russia to cease their activities, and in some cases, individuals have been imprisoned under this law. "Generation Z" is at the forefront of protests that involve several generations. The examination of the foreign agents law began for the first time in the winter of 2022. At that time, following widespread protests, the ruling party withdrew from approving the law after a few days. Those protests drew observers' attention to the significant presence of "Generation Z" in Georgia; a generation that came to the streets with music and color and created a joyful protest movement filled with dance despite the security forces' crackdown. Today, as protesters have once again taken to the streets, there is talk of the impact of this generation of young Georgians; those who want a free and European life and, unlike the previous generation, even refuse to learn or speak the language of the neighboring country, Russia (since the 2008 war that led to the separation of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, Georgians consider 20% of their territory to be occupied by Russia). However, it is not only "Generation Z" that has come to the streets; many participants in the protests are the parents and grandparents of these young people who have joined them. Tbilisi, May 3. Is Georgia's aspiration to join the European Union at risk? In the time between the protests of 2022 and today's demonstrations, Georgia succeeded in being listed as a candidate for EU membership. The "candidate" status is the first step in the process of joining the EU, and a country that achieves this status must undergo several stages for membership, including fundamental reforms in various government institutions, including the judiciary and courts. The fact that Georgia had successfully passed the first stage and received the "candidate" title had created the impression that the ruling party would no longer pursue the "foreign agents" law. However, a few months later, the "Georgian Dream" party resumed the legislative process in parliament. This process has been heavily criticized by Western countries, which say that such a law could overshadow Georgia's "European" future. As reported by Rikard Yuzoyak, the Europe editor of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, on April 20, EU member states are considering their response to the approval of the "foreign agents" law, and among them, all options, including the suspension of visa-free travel for Georgians to the Schengen area, are on the table; a penalty that would be costly for ordinary Georgian citizens. Where does the Georgian Orthodox Church stand in these protests? Most people in Georgia are Orthodox Christians, and the Georgian Orthodox Church has significant influence at various levels of society. The church institution, which is often accused by its critics of being close to the ruling party, has said little about the developments of recent weeks until Orthodox Christians reached one of their most important holidays, Easter, and "Ilia," the archbishop of the church, called for community unity to overcome the current conditions during the holiday ceremony, stating, "Unfortunately, this year, political trends have created such tension in society that the period of fasting and then the joy of Easter has been overshadowed." In recent years, especially during protests related to LGBTQ rights, individuals affiliated with the Orthodox Church have played a prominent role alongside far-right groups. However, this year, during the days of celebrating Easter, Georgian protesters, who emphasize respect for individual freedoms as one of their slogans, attempted to create a sense of unity by holding candles and singing in front of several old churches in Tbilisi. What is the Kremlin's stance on the developments in Georgia? With the onset of recent protests in Georgia, Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesperson, stated that "this law should not be called Russian as it is a normal approach in many countries to protect themselves from foreign influence in their domestic politics." According to the Moscow Times, citing an unnamed source in the Russian government, "politicians in Moscow are watching developments in Georgia, and an order has been given from the Kremlin to avoid controversial statements on this matter." State media in Russia have been focusing on the ruling party's approach in Georgia and reflecting their accusations against the protesters and opposition groups; statements that many resemble the accusations that the Kremlin and Vladimir Putin, the leader of Russia, make against their opponents. The relationship between Georgia and Russia has had many ups and downs over the three decades since the collapse of the Soviet Union, but the severance of diplomatic relations between the two countries since 2008, following the separation of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, has created a situation filled with tension. Following Russia's military invasion of Ukraine, however, the ruling party in Georgia adopted a moderate approach in dealing with this war to avoid provoking its powerful neighbor into taking similar action against itself. At the same time, tens of thousands of Russian citizens who were unwilling to participate in the war sought refuge in Georgia, which has created widespread discontent in the country. The founder of the "Georgian Dream" party, Bidzina Ivanishvili, who built his billion-dollar fortune in Russia, has also always been accused of advancing Kremlin policies in Georgia; an accusation that both he and the "Georgian Dream" party vehemently deny. What is the path for the approval of the law and what happens next? In the process of reviewing this law in parliament, supporters have voted in favor of it twice so far. The process of this review has also been very tense, with opposition representatives' speeches frequently interrupted, and only television networks were allowed to enter parliament to cover these developments. At the beginning of the process, one opposition representative protested by punching a ruling party representative, which caused a significant uproar. Aleko Elisashvili was violently arrested during protests a few days later. Now, a vote is scheduled for May 13 for the third and final time in parliament regarding this law, and it does not seem that the ruling party, which holds the majority of parliamentary seats, will have any issues in its final approval. This party and its allies are also capable of nullifying the veto vote of Salome Zourabichvili, the President of Georgia, who has openly expressed her opposition to this law. However, this is unlikely to mean the end of protests in Georgia, as the final approval of this law is expected to trigger a new wave of protests that will continue until the elections scheduled for the fall. Lasha Guinyanidze, a political activist who has recently been attacked by unknown individuals, says, "If political activists back down today, attacks on ordinary citizens will also escalate." He, speaking from a hospital bed in Tbilisi in an interview with the Georgian section of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, stated, "If we want to wake up tomorrow in Belarus, we must continue the fight to the end."