State Department urges Georgian authorities and protesters to show restraint

The US State Department called on all parties to the protests in Georgia to avoid escalation and exercise restraint. State Department spokesman Ned Price stated this at a briefing on March 8.

“We call on the government of Georgia to respect the freedom of peaceful assembly and peaceful protest. We call on all parties to exercise restraint and avoid any escalatory or violent actions, respect the laws and democratic values ​​of Georgia,” – he said.

Price said the bills on foreign agents that sparked the protests are “inspired by the Kremlin.” In his opinion, the adoption of these laws will impede democratic development, European integration and the Euro-Atlantic future of Georgia.

Recall that the protest action near the building of the Georgian Parliament in Tbilisi began on March 7, when the deputies approved in the first reading one of the two laws on foreign agents. He assumes that companies and media owned by non-residents at least 20% will be recognized as foreign agents. Perhaps, because of this law, Georgia will lose the chance to join the European Union.

Later, parliamentarians promised to postpone the vote, but it continued, and riots flared up with renewed vigor. Protesters surrounded the parliament building, attacked Interior Ministry officials with rocks and Molotov cocktails, and police fired tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse the crowd. The riots have not subsided for the second day.

Note that in the United States the law on foreign agents has been in force since 1938. However, now Washington is at the forefront of opponents of the Georgian innovation.