Georgian police disperse protesters as parliament approves 'foreign bill' second reading

Demonstrators block a street in front of police cordons during a rally to protest against a bill on "foreign agents" in Tbilisi, Georgia, May 1, 2024. Georgian parliament is set to debate the second reading of the bill described as authoritarian and Russian-inspired by Georgia's opposition and Western countries. REUTERS/Irakli Gedenidze

TBILISI (Reuters) - Georgia's parliament on Wednesday approved the second reading of a bill on "foreign agents" that has been criticised as Kremlin-inspired, as police fired tear gas and stun grenades to clear a large crowd of protesters opposed to the draft law.

The bill, which would require organisations receiving more than 20% of their funding from abroad to register as agents of foreign influence, has sparked a rolling political crisis in the South Caucasus country.