(4 May 2024)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Tbilisi, Georgia - 3 May 2024
++NIGHT SHOTS++
1. Various of protesters marching in central Tbilisi
2. SOUNDBITE (Georgian) Sergi Gigani, activist:
"You feel the vibe here. Of course, they couldn't exhaust people when there's a choice between authoritarianism and democracy, between freedom of speech and slavery. We've always been united in decisive moments and fought. They, (the ruling Georgian Dream Party) have started the same fight that led the National Movement (the previous ruling party) to lose in 2012. They will lose too."
3. Various of protesters during march
STORYLINE:
Demonstrations have continued in Georgia's capital, demanding the withdrawal of a bill which would require media and non-commercial organizations by law to register as “pursuing the interests of a foreign power" if they receive more than 20% of funding from abroad.

The legislature on Wednesday approved a second reading of the bill, with the third and final reading expected in mid-May.

But widespread protests against the bill, dubbed a "Russian law" because of its similarity to Russia's use of similar legislation to stigmatize independent news media and organizations critical of the Kremlin.

The protests led to a cancellation of a session on Thursday, making the future of the bill's progress unclear.

Demonstrations in Tbilisi have been ongoing for weeks now, since the ruling Georgian Dream party decided to introduce the bill to Parliament for adoption.

The party withdrew a similar proposal last year after similar demonstrations.

"You feel the vibe here. Of course, they couldn't exhaust people when there's a choice between authoritarianism and democracy, between freedom of speech and slavery," said activist Sergi Gigani.



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