On April 30 demonstrators returned to Georgia’s parliament in Tbilisi to protest against the controversial bill on foreign agents, as lawmakers were discussing it in the second reading. Some of the several thousand protesters clashed with police, who began to detain activists. Police used tear gas against the protesters, while the Georgian Health Minister reported that three police officers were injured during the disturbance. According to the largest opposition party, the United National Movement, its chairman Levan Khabeishvili was severely beaten during the efforts to break up the rally. By May 1 riot police had relocated to the periphery of the rally, according to TASS.
Georgian Interior Minister Alexander Darakhvelidze said at a briefing, that “The Interior Ministry’s operatives have detained 63 people for disorderly conduct and failure to comply with police orders under Articles 166 and 173 at a rally held on Rustaveli Avenue.” He added that “as a result of violence by the rally participants, six operatives of the Interior Ministry sustained various serious injuries.”
