Protest Against the Foreign Agents Law — March 7
On March 7, the Georgian parliament passed the first reading of the law “On the Transparency of Foreign Influence,” which triggered a strong public backlash, and the protest outside parliament escalated into clashes with the police.
The police used water cannons, stun grenades, tear gas grenades, and tear gas spray.
The protesters, for their part, threw stones at the police and possibly Molotov cocktails. The cocktails were definitely there; the “possibly” part is because I read that it may have been a provocation.
I arrived pretty late, so I only saw most of what happened through the live broadcast on Mtavari TV.
Protesters standing in front of the parliament building.
The banner reads: “Sunny Parliament.”
People were standing with flags — mostly Georgian and EU flags.
But there was also one American flag.
Large puddles had formed on the road from the water cannons and fire hoses the police had used earlier to push protesters back.
The dispersal of the protest begins. The first tear gas and stun grenades are fired into the crowd.
People run from the gas, trying to protect their eyes and lungs.
Many of the protesters were feeling sick from the gas.
After the police used special riot-control equipment, someone set fire to a car parked nearby. Tear gas drifts through the air around it.
People’s eyes were watering from the gas.
I have no idea how this happened, but one of the police officers was standing among the protesters and talking to them.
An ambulance was constantly on duty near the protest, helping people affected by tear gas or injured during the clashes.
When the gas cleared, the protesters began to return, but by then the police had already cordoned off part of the avenue in front of parliament. So when people came back, they started building a barricade directly opposite the police line.
The police stood there, their helmets gleaming.
A nice bit of wordplay.
The car is covered in various obscene messages.
Someone smashed a bus stop, but I didn’t see that happen.