that would require any organisation receiving more than 20% of their funding from overseas to register as foreign agents. critics say it represents an authoritarian shift in the former soviet state. georgia s president through her support behind the protesters and said she will veto the law if it crosses her desk. translation: i veto the law if it crosses her desk. tuna/mom- desk. translation: i am addressing desk. translation: i am addressing you, desk. translation: i am addressing you, who - desk. translation: i am addressing you, who are l addressing you, who are standing on the avenue this evening, as i myself have stood many times. i am standing here in new york and behind me is the statue of liberty. this is the statue of liberty. this is the symbol for which georgia has always fought and for which we have come to this day. i am with you because today you represent free georgia. the us also expressed represent free georgia. the us also expressed its represent free georgia
of funding from overseas, to declare themselves as foreign agents. emer mccarthy reports. chaos on the streets of tbilisi. riot police advanced on protesters in the georgian capital after parliament gave its first approval to a bill that would require any organisations receiving more than 20% of their funding from overseas to register as foreign agents. critics say it represents an authoritarian shift in the former soviet state. georgia s president threw her support behind the protesters and said she will veto the law if it crosses her desk. translation: i am addressing you who are standing on rustaveli avenue this evening as i myself have stood many times. i am standing here in new york and behind me is the statue of liberty. this is the symbol for which georgia
riot police advanced on protesters in the georgian capital after parliament gave its first approval to a bill that would require any organisations receiving more than 20% of their funding from overseas to register as foreign agents. critics say it represents an authoritarian shift in the former soviet state. georgia s president threw her support behind the protesters and said she will veto the law if it crosses her desk. translation: i am addressing you who are standing on rustaveli avenue this evening as i myself have stood many times. i am standing here in new york and behind me is the statue of liberty. this is the symbol for which georgia has always fought and for which we have come to this day. i am with you because today, you represent free georgia. the us also expressed its concern.
but that is not how the government sees it. last night, that deep split in the country was exposed when parliament backed a bill that put georgia s accession to the european union at considerable risk. the protestors, many waving european flags, say the new foreign agent bill will limit press freedom and suppress civil society. and they suspect the kremlin is playing a role. earlier in the week, a committee hearing into the proposed legislation had ended in a parliamentary brawl. on her visit to new york, the georgian president salome zourabichvili who opposes the bill spoke directly to the protesters. translation: i am addressing you who are standing on rustaveli avenue this evening, as i myself have stood many times. i m standing here in new york, and behind me is the statue of liberty. this is the symbol for which georgia has always fought, and for which we have come to this day. i am with you, because today
them. cannons. iwant and special forces were dragging them. cannons. i want to tell them. cannons. i want to tell them that these people are very cowardly that s why we have to stand up cowardly that s why we have to stand up and continue to fight. the president seemed to agree from america she threw her weight behind the protesters saying she would veto the bill. translation: i am standing here in. new york and behind me is the statue of liberty. this is the symbol for which georgia has always fought and for which we have come to this day. i am with you because today you represent free georgia. but inside the parliament building, 76 lawmakers from the governing georgian dream party gave their initial support to the draft law. but it s certainly proved controversial. on monday, a committee hearing into the proposed legislation ended in a parliamentary brawl. so, what exactly is the bill and why is it proving so controversial? the opposition has described it as a russia