Six Georgian opposition parties issued a joint statement condemning the dispersal of a rally against the law on foreign agents and urging the police "not to carry out illegal orders of representatives of the anti-Georgian regime," UNN reports with reference to Novosti Georgia.
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By brutally suppressing the rally, "the government has severed all ties with its people, with the free world, and turned away from our European path," the statement reads.
They sign the United National Movement, Lelo, Ahali, Agmashenebeli's Strategy, Droa, and Bitter is More Freedom.
"At this stage, we will continue to make our voices heard in parliament and will use all forms of peaceful protest together with our citizens. The government's time is up, it's time for change," the opposition parties said.
In the same statement, they call on their supporters to rally near the parliament on Wednesday evening.
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On April 30, the Georgian parliament continued the second reading of the law on "foreign agents," against which mass protests have been going on for almost the entire month of April. On the night of May 1, police and riot police used water cannons, pepper spray, tear gas, and rubber bullets to disperse the protesters.
The ruling party claims that behind the protests is a revolutionary plan to change the government in Georgia, which has been supported for several years by Western funds through NGOs and the media.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia, commenting on its actions at the rally, stated that the action was violent and the measures taken were proportionate.
On the evening of May 1, the parliament is gathering a new protest. Last night's crackdown has led to even more people coming out to protest. In the morning, there are queues at Tbilisi retailers for protective equipment: masks, respirators, and goggles.