Tens of thousands in the former Soviet republic of Georgia have taken to the streets to call for a change of government and for joining the European Union.
The country’s opposition parties held a rally in the capital Tbilisi on Sunday ahead of parliamentary elections scheduled for October 26. The demonstrators carried Georgian national flags and EU flags.
In June, Georgia adopted a controversial law that requires organizations that receive 20 percent or more of their funding from abroad to register as foreign agents.
Opposition lawmakers have been saying the bill is similar to a Russian law which limits the activities of non-governmental groups and media the government does not favor.
The EU has said that the law goes against EU core principles and values, and has virtually halted Georgia’s bid for its membership.
The government led by the Georgian Dream party has not joined economic sanctions against Russia imposed following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
In the campaign for the upcoming parliamentary elections, the ruling party has been appealing to voters to maintain stable ties with Russia.
Georgian experts say opinion polls show the ruling and opposition camps are neck-and-neck in the race. The outcome is expected to influence the country’s foreign policy, which has swung between the West and Russia.