Thousands of Georgians took to the streets in the country’s capital, Tbilisi, on Sunday to protest against a proposed “foreign agents” bill, which was introduced by the ruling Georgian Dream Party. Sunday’s protest joins with more than a week of similar demonstrations. The bill passed in its first reading earlier in April, and the second reading is set for Tuesday. The plenary session will not be made available to online and print journalists.

The “transparency of foreign influence” bill requires entities in Georgia receiving over 20 percent of their funding from abroad to register as foreign agents, which would include most civil society and media organizations. The bill has been criticized for being similar to the “foreign agents” law in Russia used to crack down on dissent.

In March 2023, the Georgian government was forced to unconditionally withdraw a similar draft bill during its second reading due to mass protests.

On Thursday, the European Parliament of the EU adopted a resolution calling for Georgian lawmakers to reconsider the bill’s re-introduction. The European Parliament’s resolution also stated that Georgia’s accession to the EU should not progress unless the bill is withdrawn. The resolution also condemned the recently announced bill criminalizing the promotion of same-sex relationships as another sign of democratic backsliding standing in the way of Georgia’s EU accession.

The “transparency of foreign influence” bill needs to pass three readings before becoming law. However, in an interview with BBC, President Salome Zourabichvili said she would veto it even if it is approved.