On May 28, demonstrators gathered in front and behind the Parliament building from early morning hours as the ruling party prepared to overturn the presidential veto on the Foreign Agents Law. Deliberations on the law were accompanied by loud chants from the crowd outside, calling on Georgian Dream MPs not to change Georgia’s foreign policy course by adopting a law that has been highly criticized by international partners. However, despite the 8-hour long protest outside, the Parliament voted to adopt the law at 7 p.m., marking a dark day for Georgian democracy, with media and civil society coming under grave risk.
Civil.ge‘s Guram Muradov captured memorable moments from the protest:
Demonstrators graffiti “Kremlin Branch” on the Parliament building. Photo by Guram Muradov/Civil.geDemonstrators gathered in front of the Parliament, Georgian and EU flags waving in the air. Photo by Guram Muradov/Civil.geDemonstrator holding a banner with the words “If not now, when? If not us, who?”. Photo by Guram Muradov/Civil.geLazare Grigoriadis, activist against the Agents’ Law. Photo by Guram Muradov/Civil.geNana Malashkhia, known as the “Women with EU Flag”. Photo by Guram Muradov/Civil.geDemonstrators gathered in front of the Parliament. Photo by Guram Muradov/Civil.geDemonstrator against the Agent’s Law. photo by Guram Muradov/Civil.geDemonstrators against the Agent’s Law. photo by Guram Muradov/Civil.gePolice mobilized on Freedom Square. Photo by Guram Muradov/Civil.gePolice mobilized on Freedom Square. Photo by Guram Muradov/Civil.geBanner calling Bidzina Ivanishvili a “stink bug”. Photo by Guram Muradov/ Civil.geDemonstrator holding a banner in front of the Parliament. Photo by Guram Muradov/Civil.ge
