By Davit Kachkachishvili
TBILISI, Georgia (AA) – Police in the former Soviet republic of Georgia broke up a demonstration outside of parliament Tuesday as lawmakers debated a controversial "foreign agent" bill.
Security forces used water cannon and tear gas against protesters in the capital Tbilisi, where a number of people were reportedly arrested and injured.
Mass protests were triggered in Tbilisi over the past two weeks against the legislation put forward by the ruling Georgian Dream party, as it is seen by the opposition and Western nations as Russian-inspired.
President Salome Zurabishvili previously promised to veto the bill if it is formally adopted in a third reading.
Referring to the crackdown, Zurabishvili said the right of peaceful protest has been denied to the Georgian people.
"Totally unwarranted, unprovoked and out of proportion use of force ongoing in Tbilisi against peaceful protesters. Full responsibility falls entirely on the government," she said on X.
A second reading of the bill ended without a vote, and lawmakers will continue to debate it on May 1.