Georgians urge lawmakers to support president's veto on divisive media law

(18 May 2024)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Tbilisi, Georgia - 18 May 2024
++NIGHT SHOTS++
1. Crowd of protesters outside parliament
2. Various of protesters setting fire to Russian flag
3. Protesters cheering (Georgian): "Georgia"
4. Close of Georgian flag
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Ana Muradashvili, protester:
"We strongly felt that she (President Salome Zourabichvili) is on our side and she's going to fight with us. We're very hopeful, that they will not be able to cancel her veto, override the veto. But we would wait for Monday for what's going to happen. But this is not the end. Even if they adopt the law, obviously we are going to continue fighting and coming here every day because Georgian people will never give up. So this is our future. We're not fighting here just as a civil society. We are fighting here because our future lies here."
6. Various of protesters wearing flags, embracing and posing for photographs outside parliament
7. Close of poster reading (Georgian): "Homeland is not only land and mountains. It's also people."
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Nodar Kvirikadze, protester:
"The president did what she had to do. So there is a message for the rest of the government to do the same, and about this law to keep it out from Georgian people. Because we all need Europe, we are going to Europe and we don't need this Russian government here."
9. Various of people distributing snacks at protest
10. Group of protesters playing cards
11. SOUNDBITE (English) Ekaterina Natenadze, protester:
"I don't know how much we will get out of it, as the ruling party has full power to put the law in action anyway. So I think what we need now is consolidation of the power (among the) opposition. We need to know where to go because the way how the ruling party is acting right now is disappointing."
12. Various of protesters chanting outside parliament
STORYLINE:
Hundreds gathered on Saturday evening outside Georgia's parliament urging lawmakers to withdraw the so-called 'Russian law' after the President vetoed it.

President Salome Zourabichvili, who is increasingly at odds with Georgia’s ruling party, said the law contradicts Georgia’s Constitution and “all European standards,” adding that it “must be abolished.”

The law would require media and NGOs to register as “pursuing the interests of a foreign power” if they receive more than 20% of their funding from abroad.

Critics of the bill say it closely resembles legislation used by the Kremlin to silence opponents and will obstruct Georgia’s bid to join the EU.

The ruling party, Georgian Dream, has a majority sufficient to override Zourabichvili’s veto, and is widely expected to do so in the coming days.

Those gathered outside parliament welcomed the president's veto and said they will continue protesting even if the ruling party overrides it.

"Even if they adopt the law, obviously we are going to continue fighting and coming here every day, because Georgian people will never give up," said protester Ana Muradashvili.

"We're not fighting here just as a civil society. We are fighting here because our future lies here."

The Georgian government insists the law is intended to promote transparency and to curb what it deems as harmful foreign influence in the country of 3.7 million.

Many Georgian journalists and campaigners fiercely dispute this characterisation, saying they are already subject to audit and monitoring requirements.

They say that the law's true goal is to stigmatise them and restrict debate ahead of parliamentary elections scheduled for October.







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