A protesters wave the Georgian, Ukrainian and European flags during a demonstration called by Georgian opposition and civil society groups outside Georgia's Parliament in Tbilisi on March 8, 2023. (Photo by Vano SHLAMOV / AFP)
Washington: The United States on Wednesday urged the government in Tbilisi to allow peaceful demonstrations as it voiced solidarity with mass protests against a Russian-inspired draft law on foreign funding of critical groups.
"We urge the government of Georgia to respect the freedom of peaceful assembly and peaceful protests," State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters, calling for "restraint" on all sides.
"We are standing with the people of Georgia and the aspirations that they have."
Georgian police fired water cannon and tear gas at thousands of protesters against the legislative proposal, which they say mirrors a Russian law that has been used to silence dissenting groups.
Protesters fear an authoritarian turn in the former Soviet republic which aspires to join the European Union and NATO.
The bill "jeopardizes Georgia's Euro-Atlantic future," Price said.
"We are concerned that the passage of this type of legislation would have consequences for our ability to continue to be the strategic partner that we have sought to be for Georgia and the people of Georgia over the course of decades," he said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who is battling a Russian invasion, earlier voiced solidarity with the protesters.
