Europe

Special police forces have interfered in the protest action held in front of the parliament building in Tbilisi, APA's Georgia bureau reports.

Using water cannons, tear gas, and pepper spray, special forces cleared the streets near the Parliament building's entrances, as well as Rustaveli Avenue, of protestors.

Protesters shattered the windows of the parliament building and rolled over a police car in the area during the confrontation with the police.

There are both injured and arrested people.

During the rally, there was a violent confrontation between protesters and employees of the pro-government "Imedi" TV channel.

***23.36

Special police forces have been deployed near the parliament building in Tbilisi, where the protest is being held, APA's Georgia bureau reports.

The police are using water cannons and tear gas to disperse the demonstrators.

There is a tense situation in the protest area.

Protestors who demolished iron gates constructed at one of the parliament's entrances threw stones and eggs at police.

Georgia's Ministry of Interior Affairs urged politicians and protesters to respect the freedom of speech and assembly.

***22.50

The protesters are continuing their rally in front of the Georgian Parliament, APA's Tbilisi correspondent reports.

Addressing the rally, Giorgi Vashadze, chairman of the Strategy Aghmashenebeli party, called on the protesters to besiege the Parliament building in a peaceful way.

Giorgi Vashadze convoyed two demands to the government.

He has demanded that the ruling Georgian Dream Party repeal the "foreign agents" law and release the arrested.

***21.45

Thousands of protesters have returned to the centre of Georgia's capital, Tbilisi, hours after riot police broke up crowds angered by a controversial Russian-style law, APA reports citing BBC.

The new law would class non-government and media groups as "foreign agents" if they get more than 20% of their funding from abroad.

Police arrested 66 people overnight, including a Georgian opposition leader.

Zurab Japaridze suffered a serious injury after he was detained.

A public official who visited Mr Japaridze in detention said he had been hit by a baton during the arrest.

Authorities said 55 police were hurt when stones and petrol bombs were thrown at them. Some of the most arresting images of the night came when water cannon was sprayed at protesters waving EU flags.

Riot police eventually moved in to clear protesters from Rustaveli Avenue, the main thoroughfare outside parliament.

Crowds grew outside parliament again on Wednesday, as protesters sought to challenge the draft "foreign agents" law. Some 10,000 people had turned out by late afternoon and another 10 people were arrested.

***21.11

Thousands of people staged a second straight day of protests in the Georgian capital Tbilisi on Wednesday, rallying against a "foreign agents" law which critics say signals an authoritarian shift andharms Georgia's chances of closer ties with Europe, APA reports citing Reuters.

Parliament on Tuesday passed a first reading of the legislation, which requires any organisations receiving more than 20% of their funding from overseas to register as "foreign agents" or face substantial fines.

The ruling Georgian Dream party say it is modelled on U.S. legislation dating from the 1930s. Critics, including President Salome Zourabichvili, say it is reminiscent of a Russian law that the Kremlin has used extensively tocrack down on dissent.

In violent clashes on Tuesday evening, protesters threw petrol bombs and stones at police, who used tear gas and water cannon to disperse the crowds. The interior ministry said 66 people had been detained.

Protests kicked off again on Wednesday afternoon with a march down the central Rustaveli Avenue to mark International Women's Day, which is a public holiday in Georgia.

Thousands gathered in front of the country's parliament as evening set in, carrying Georgian and EU flags and shouting "No to the Russian law".

Reuters reporters heard the Georgian, Ukrainian and European Union anthems being sung or blasted through speakers as crowds poured onto the street in front of parliament, blocking traffic.

Footage of smaller protests in the Black Sea resort city of Batumi, Georgia's second largest, were also shared online.

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