undergone a round of reforms to has undergone a round of reforms to become democratic and to get closer to the eu and nato and it has been georgia's declared ambition and it is written in the constitution that georgia is willing and aspiring to join the eu under nato. so this law comes fundamentally against these aspirations because this law provides the government a very powerful tool to repress and to put an extreme amount of pressure. what we see so far is these actors, very significant actors in any democracy, of already under very heavy pressure and what we have heard also from partner nations is georgia should not do this, should it want to stay on the european membership, eu membership track, and unfortunately

the government is doing the complete opposite, which willjeopardise georgia's further steps after the candidacy status. we georgia's further steps after the candidacy status.— candidacy status. we are seeing these scenes _ candidacy status. we are seeing these scenes on _ candidacy status. we are seeing these scenes on the _ candidacy status. we are seeing these scenes on the street - candidacy status. we are seeing these scenes on the street in i these scenes on the street in tbilisi and protesters who are very angry and pumped up about this law which they hate, and also the riot police in huge numbers. do you fear all of this political crisis, clearly, could escalate? it isa it is a significant political crisis. the last time we had such large—scale protests crisis. the last time we had such la rge—scale protests was crisis. the last time we had such large—scale protests was last crisis. the last time we had such la rge—scale protests was last year in march 2023 when people rallied against the same law which the government was forced to cancel. however, this time people are much more disappointed and angry because

they see that the government has made a u—turn and they basically promised they would not get back to this discussion is about the slow and now what we have is the consequences because they have approved the foreign agents low. my fear is that if the situation escalates and it seems like the situation will escalate, we might see clashes. we situation will escalate, we might see clashes-_ situation will escalate, we might see clashes. ~ ., , see clashes. we also saw inside the arliament see clashes. we also saw inside the parliament some _ see clashes. we also saw inside the parliament some quite _ see clashes. we also saw inside the parliament some quite dramatic- parliament some quite dramatic scenes where members of the parliament were fighting each other and scuffling and throwing punches. extraordinary scenes.— extraordinary scenes. absolutely. the current _ extraordinary scenes. absolutely. the current government - extraordinary scenes. absolutely. the current government has - extraordinary scenes. absolutely. the current government has the l the current government has the majority and they were able to take this law forward but anyone else and

pretty much the entire parliament and others in the government are against this law so we have seen some very dramatic scenes and clashes within the parliament which was very much expected given the fact that this so controversial. we are auoin fact that this so controversial. we are going to go back now to our correspondence was talking to one of the protesters. correspondence was talking to one of the protesters-_ the protesters. what do you think will happen _ the protesters. what do you think will happen next? _ the protesters. what do you think will happen next? we _ the protesters. what do you think will happen next? we have - the protesters. what do you think will happen next? we have seen. the protesters. what do you think| will happen next? we have seen a the protesters. what do you think- will happen next? we have seen a lot of support from europe and european politicians saying to police she is the heart of europe so you are getting these words of support but what more do you think needs to happen? what more do you think needs to ha--en? what more do you think needs to ha en? ., , what more do you think needs to hauen? ., , ., ~ happen? the government is talking

about sanctions, _ happen? the government is talking about sanctions, we _ happen? the government is talking about sanctions, we are _ happen? the government is talking about sanctions, we are part - happen? the government is talking about sanctions, we are part of- happen? the government is talking l about sanctions, we are part of some kind of— about sanctions, we are part of some kind of europe. 50 about sanctions, we are part of some kind of eur0pe-_ kind of europe. so you think sanctions- — kind of europe. so you think sanctions. thank— kind of europe. so you think sanctions. thank you - kind of europe. so you think sanctions. thank you so - kind of europe. so you think. sanctions. thank you so much. kind of europe. so you think- sanctions. thank you so much. i don't think our correspondence can hear it any more. she is our correspondence into blue sea who has been reporting live in doing a fantasticjob because it's pretty chaotic and very tense as well and we have these protesters who are very angry that this law has been passed, this foreign agents low has been passed which they say crushes descent in georgia in the same way that a similar law in russia crushes descent and that is why these

protesters are out on the street on a miserable day in georgia and they are facing a phalanx of riot police outside the georgian parliament. whether they like it or not that law has gone through and it went through with 84 members of parliament out of the hundred and 50 voting in favour. what happens now is that draft goes to the president of georgia who is seen as pro—western if you like, sympathetic to those protesters and who has said she will veto this measure, but that won't be the end of the story because then that veto in turn can be overridden by another vote in parliament which is controlled by the ruling party and its allies. is almost certainly this law that has been approved now is going to go through. let's go back to our correspondence. you have been talking to the protesters, are they

nervous? are they nervous about where all of this is going to lead and whether it is going to lead to violence? ., , ., ., and whether it is going to lead to violence? ., ., ., violence? now georgia has to fulfil its obligations _ violence? now georgia has to fulfil its obligations to _ violence? now georgia has to fulfil its obligations to become - violence? now georgia has to fulfil its obligations to become the - violence? now georgia has to fulfil. its obligations to become the member and what we have been hearing from european leaders so far is that instead of moving ahead with a session process, introducing those reforms democratic reforms that would lead this country to the eu, instead the government has just passed what is seen as a potentially very repressive law in georgia and people are worried that it will kill the very democracy that allows them to stand here and to process against the government. that to stand here and to process against the government.— the government. that is our correspondent _ the government. that is our correspondent in _ the government. that is our correspondent in tblisi - the government. that is our correspondent in tblisi with | the government. that is our. correspondent in tblisi with the very latest. polls show that georgian public opinion is strongly supportive ofjoining the eu and of

being integrated with the eu. many georgians reflect that and they are hostile to russia particularly over moscow's support for the breakaway regions of south setia. there has been tension really for many years on the streets of tblisi and in many parts of georgia over russia's influence. these protesters want to be free from russian influence. let's listen again to our correspondence.- let's listen again to our correspondence. let's listen again to our corresondence. , ., , correspondence. last year they tried to ush for correspondence. last year they tried to push for this _ correspondence. last year they tried to push for this law. _ correspondence. last year they tried to push for this law. so _ correspondence. last year they tried to push for this law. so far— correspondence. last year they tried to push for this law. so farjudging l to push for this law. so farjudging by the rhetoric that has been coming from the georgian leaders, they are already labelling those who oppose the government and oppose this law

as agents, as foreign agents, for not acting in the interests of this country. i don't think she can hear it at the moment so we will... i don't think she can hear it at the moment so we will. . ._ i don't think she can hear it at the moment so we will... they have 'ust -ushed moment so we will. .. they have 'ust pushed clear— moment so we will... they have 'ust pushed clear the fi moment so we will... they have 'ust pushed clear the main i moment so we will... they have 'ust pushed clear the main area i moment so we will... they have just pushed clear the main area outside l pushed clear the main area outside parliament and cleared the protesters and protesters have been demonstrating their four weeks. a couple of days ago they spent a whole night in an effort to stop mps from entering the building. but despite all these efforts and all this opposition the mps from the governing party voted in favour and they have passed this law seen as a

controversial, seen as a turning point for georgia. people are worried that this law marks a turning point for georgia's foreign policy despite the reassurances from the government that still claims that they will somehow take georgia to europe by 2030. but that is not what people here believe. do you have anything to say? no? what do you think will happen next? you don't want to? it's ok.

that was our correspondence who is struggling to hear this at the moment, not surprisingly giving all the noise. we will rejoin her when she gives us more commentary from the scene but this is the scene in natia seskuria on a wet and rainy day by the day of huge political tension as you can see, an unfolding political crisis in this former soviet republic where riot police are in a stand—off against protesters outside the georgian parliament. a parliament which has just passed a third and final reading of the so—called foreign agents bill which these protesters believe will crush dissent and crush freedom of speech in georgia. these

protesters fear it will also bring georgia further into the orbit of russia and president putin when they want to move away from that and into the orbit of the european union. some of them telling our correspondent that is their dream, tojoin the european union correspondent that is their dream, to join the european union and integrate with the european union. to be part of the west. it's a struggle that some people fear will escalate or could escalate and intensify divisions in georgia and it could even end in violence. republic that has since it got independence from the old soviet union has seen bouts of civil war and violence in its past of course.

it's a very divided country and you can see those divisions playing out now on the streets of tbilisi, the capital. protesters and riot police face a tense stand—off really and what will happen in the immediate short—term is that this hugely controversial bill now goes to the president of georgia who has shed she will veto it but then there is a constitutional crisis because she will veto this measure and his decision will then ultimately be overridden by another vote in parliament which is controlled by the ruling party and its allies who have pushed through this measure and so the president's veto will be overridden and that will further anger these demonstrators we are seeing on the streets outside the

georgian parliament. the police have been trying to disperse the protesters and the protesters don't want to go anywhere. let's rejoin our reporter. explain what's going on now. we our reporter. explain what's going on now. ~ ., ., , ., , on now. we are on this main street outside georgia's _ on now. we are on this main street outside georgia's parliament. - on now. we are on this main street outside georgia's parliament. a - outside georgia's parliament. a short while ago large numbers of riot police moved in to clear the street of protesters. hundreds of riot police with water cannons behind them, they moved and cleared the main street of protesters. 0n the main street of protesters. on this side where we are standing now the protesters in their raincoats, it is raining, they are standing

their ground and they believe they are standing here for georgia's european future. a short while ago the georgian parliament, dominated by the georgian dream party, past this controversial law on the transparency of foreign funding. it is seen by the opponents of the law as a russian law. they are saying it's a russian style law designed to stifle dissent, to silence the critical voices in this country. therefore, these people are standing here and they are saying our history is full of this opposition to russia, georgians are saying they have been fighting against russia for a long time and we are notjust talking about the war in 2008, we are talking and going back to 1980s

and 1989 in this very street when young georgians were killed by russian troops as they stood up for their independence. that was on the 9th of april 1989 and people still remember that. 9th of april 1989 and people still rememberthat. so 9th of april 1989 and people still remember that. so they believe they cannot give up now after all these years of having this dream of joining the eu and breaking away from russia. they won't accept it again and they believe that by introducing this law the government is somehow trying to take them back to the russian orbit. it is really dramatic what's happening now and very important for this small country which is between russia and the eu. 0n the side, people who support their country's european

future. they