RFE/RL's Georgian Service is a trusted source of politically and financially independent journalism in a country where much of the media is aligned with the government or the opposition.
Georgian religious and political leaders led a march marking Family Purity Day on May 17. The new holiday was created in 2014 in reaction to the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, and Transphobia. Georgian LGBT activists say they no longer mark that event out of fears for their safety.
Top officials from the Georgian Dream party joined Orthodox clerics and conservative religious groups in rallies across the country on May 17 to mark a new holiday known as Family Purity Day, including a march in Tbilisi, the scene of weeks of protests against a divisive "foreign agent" bill.
Mariam Pirashvili is a unique figure in Tbilisi who moves among demonstrators opposed to Georgia's "foreign agent" bill, which critics say could curtail civil liberties. She passes around a garbage bag, collecting litter. Pirashvili says the rallies are about protesting and "tidying up our country."
Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis said his visit to Tbilisi this week was meant to show support for demonstrators opposed to Georgia's "foreign agent" bill and to warn against a "fateful decision" that could derail all the work the country has done toward becoming an EU member.
Georgia's president has called a contentious "foreign agent" law approved by parliament earlier this week "unacceptable" and "not consistent" with the country's path toward Euro-Atlantic institutions.
Three Georgians have told a Current Time correspondent how they were either fired or pressured to take voluntary redundancy after either criticizing the government online or joining protests against a controversial "foreign agent" bill.
RFE/RL drone footage shows thousands of protesters marching late on May 14 in Tbilisi after the Georgian parliament adopted the bill affecting groups receiving foreign funding. Critics say the legislation is similar to a Russian law and could help the government silence dissenting voices.
President Salome Zurabishvili warned that Georgia's survival as a state is in danger after parliament approved a contentious "foreign agent" law despite weeks of popular protests and warnings from the West that the move endangers Georgia's Euro-Atlantic aspirations.
Thousands of Georgians rallied near the parliament building in Tbilisi on the evening of May 14, hours after lawmakers gave final approval to a controversial bill affecting groups receiving foreign funding. There were reports of arrests and some protesters being beaten by police earlier in the day.
In front of the parliament building in Tbilisi, a dedicated group of volunteers stands with the protesters. They march with trumpets and slogans, demanding "no Russian law, but Europe." Amid the demonstrations, they bring essential supplies: food, water, sweets, protective equipment, and raincoats.
There were fierce scuffles in the Georgian parliament before a controversial "foreign agent" law was adopted in a third and final reading. Protests were continuing outside, with demonstrators vowing to keep fighting against the legislation, which they say could curtail civil liberties.
Police and protesters briefly clashed outside parliament, while inside lawmakers traded punches on the legislature floor as tensions boiled over in Tbilisi after final approval was given to a contentious "foreign agent" bill that has triggered weeks of massive protests.
The Georgian parliament's Legal Committee took just 67 seconds to advance a controversial "foreign agent" bill on May 13. Some lawmakers said they could not make it to the chamber in time due to the massive police operation outside.
There were fresh clashes in the Georgian capital Tbilisi on May 13 with police arresting 20 protesters. Tens of thousands have protested for several weeks against a "foreign agent" bill pushed forward by the ruling Georgian Dream party, which opposition groups say would curtail civil liberties.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has backed the parliament to pass a controversial "foreign agent" bill, which is seen by many as a threat to free speech and the country's drive toward membership in the European Union.
Thousands of Georgians gathered in front of the parliament in Tbilisi late on May 12 to protest against the so-called "foreign agent" bill, which opponents say would stifle civil society. Activists vowed to stay in the streets overnight ahead of the planned final reading of the bill on May 13.
As Georgian protesters prepared for another mass rally in central Tbilisi, government officials vowed to arrest demonstrators who attempt to block the parliament building ahead of discussions on the controversial "foreign agent" bill that has been condemned by the United States, the EU, and others.
Tens of thousands of Georgians marched through Tbilisi on May 11 in the latest display of opposition to legislation that would affect the work of foreign-backed NGOs. Earlier demonstrations were met with a violent police crackdown, but the May 11 protest appeared to proceed peacefully.
Tens of thousands of Georgians converged on the capital's Europe Square as protests intensified against a so-called "foreign agent" bill that has alarmed the country's Western partners for its perceived chilling effect on media and civil society.
At a Europe Day celebration in Tbilisi, EU Ambassador Pawel Herczynski told a crowd of Georgians to "keep the course toward the EU." His comments come amid an ongoing crackdown on demonstrations against a so-called "foreign agent" bill, which critics say will hurt the country's bid to join the EU.
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