In the nation of Georgia, police used water cannons and tear gas against protesters in the capital Tbilisi as thousands of people turned out to condemn a proposed law on so-called foreign agents. The contested bill would require nongovernmental organizations and independent media outlets that receive over 20% of their funding from international sources to declare themselves “agents of foreign influence.” Critics slammed the move as a violation of press freedom and civil society. Georgians also fear it would jeopardize the country’s bid for European Union membership. Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili vowed to veto the bill, though the ruling party has enough votes to override that.

President Salome Zourabichvili: “No one needed this law. It came from nowhere, but maybe it was dictated from Moscow. It needs to go. It needs to be repealed any way you want.”