The week of 22-26 April 2024
Georgian Footballers Join Protests Against 'Foreign Influence' Bill Threatening EU Ties
As reported by The Guardian, leading players in Georgia's national men's football team have backed mass protests against a "foreign influence" bill that is viewed in Brussels as a threat to the country's future EU membership. The bill, which is criticized for mirroring a repressive Russian law, would require organizations receiving more than 20% of their funding from abroad to register as agents of foreign influence. The protests have seen violent clashes between riot police and demonstrators outside the parliament building in Tbilisi. The national team's captain, Jaba Kankava, and other players, including Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Giorgi Mamardashvili, have posted coordinated messages on social media, expressing support for Georgia's "European way" and opposing the "Russian strategy of destabilization." The bill has been condemned by the European Commission as a risk to media and civil society freedoms, and the Georgian president has also offered her support to the protesters.
