Police use water cannon in Georgia to disperse protests at ‘authoritarian’ law

Critics of ‘foreign agents’ law say it could dash Tbilisi’s hopes of joining the European Union

Police in the former Soviet state of Georgia have used water cannon and teargas in an attempt to disperse thousands of people who rallied on Tuesday night after parliament gave its initial backing to a draft law on “foreign agents” which critics say represents an authoritarian shift.

Some protesters threw petrol bombs and stones at police in the centre of the capital Tbilisi, as demonstrators warned that the draft law could hurt the south Caucasus country’s hopes of EU membership.