Batton wielding riot police attacked protestors, firing rubber bullets and tear gas at thousands of demonstrators in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi late in the evening on April 30, as the authorities tried to end weeks of demonstrators against its attempt to pass a Russian inspired foreign agents law.
In one video a woman can be heard screaming as riot police wade in with their batons. In another video posted on X clouds of tear gas can be seen rolling over the crowds in the central streets of the capital packed with protestors.
“After an absolutely inhumane amount of tear gas that nearly choked me inside a freakin building, valiant people are again back on Rustaveli to confront this Russian regime,” posted Marika Mikiashvili, who was amongst the crowds.
There are also reports of fights breaking out between police and demonstrators on Rustaveli, Tbilisi’s main central road, as the authorities try to push back crowds from the roads.
“Heavy fights on Rustaveli; hellish amount of tear gas used; people nevertheless are back to confront the Russian regime,” posted Helen Khosharia from the scene.
Another video showed police targeting a protestor carrying an EU flag with a water cannon.
“A bus serving as a barricade; various reports of dispersed people blocking Mtkvari river embankments, various roads in Tbilisi. Many coming back to Rustaveli to fight back despite an inhumane tear gas usage,” Mikiashvili posted.
Tensions have been escalating over the last two weeks that has seen almost non-stop protests against the efforts by the ruling Georgian Dream party to push through a repressive foreign agents law, modelled on a similar Russian law. Police used a limited amount of pepper spray on the crowd two days ago but avoided a full scale confrontation.
Bidzina Ivanishvili, honorary chairman of the ruling Georgian Dream party, ratcheted up tensions further on April 29 in a vitriolic speech to a pro-government counter rally where he blamed a Western-led “Party Of War” for all the ills Georgia has suffered in the last decade and promised a crackdown using the foreign agents law on the parliamentary opposition party, the United National Movement that was formerly lead by Mikheil Saakashvili, who is now in jail convicted of corruption.
