Georgian parliament approves divisive 'foreign influence' bill that sparked weeks of mass protests

Mass demonstrations have been roiling in Georgia for several weeks, with protesters marching against legislation that would require all organizations receiving more than 20 percent of their funding from abroad to register as "agents of foreign influence" or face fines.

Ruling Georgian Dream party lawmakers approved the legislation despite warnings from Washington and Brussels that such a move might threaten Georgia’s partnership with the West.

Lawmakers voted 84 to 30 in favour during the third and final reading of the law, which was widely denounced as mirroring repressive Russian legislation used to silence dissent.

Tens of thousands of angry protesters took to the streets of Tbilisi and other cities across Georgia to voice opposition to the new law and were met with a heavy response from Georgian riot police.