Tens of thousands rally in Georgia as parliament advances 'foreign influence' bill Critics say bill mirrors Russian legislation used to silence dissent, independent media Georgia's parliament moved a step closer on Wednesday to passing a law that critics fear will stifle media freedom and endanger the country's European Union membership bid,

Police in Georgia’s capital have used tear gas and water cannons to disperse protesters who rallied outside the country’s parliament to protest a bill that would require media and non-commercial organizations to register as being under foreign influence if they get over 20% of their funding from abroad.

Georgia's ruling Georgian Dream party is a step closer to pushing through a law that could undermine the country's ambition to join the EU. It comes despite weeks of demonstrations and warnings from Brussels.