Georgian police fire teargas as huge ‘foreign agents’ bill protests rock Tbilisi – Europe live

63 people were detained in Georgia during a protest against the ‘foreign agents’ bill and six police officers were injured, Georgia’s interior ministry said, Reuters reported.

Jim O’Brien, the US state department’s assistant secretary for European and Eurasian affairs, said late yesterday that he had an “important conversation with Georgian MPs about our bilateral relationship.”

The discussion covered “our strong concerns over the draft Kremlin-inspired ‘foreign influence’ law and its negative impact on Georgia’s European aspirations,” he said.

Here are images from the latest protests in Tbilisi. Georgian security forces used water cannon, teargas and stun grenades against protesters outside parliament late yesterday.

“I am heartbroken to hear Ivanishvili’s vision for Georgia’s future,” said Gabrielius Landsbergis, Lithuania’s foreign minister.

“I am devastated by this sudden change in relations with countries, including Lithuania, which have been Georgia’s closest allies. It feels like we are losing a friend,” he wrote in a social media post.

“We are now shocked to see Georgians being dragged towards unfreedom by those who are most scared of freedom themselves. But we know that Georgians, like Lithuanians, are eternally free-spirited and freedom will always flourish,” he added.

Georgian security forces used water cannon, teargas and stun grenades against protesters outside parliament late on Tuesday, sharply escalating a crackdown after lawmakers debated a “foreign agents” bill that is viewed by the opposition and western nations as authoritarian and Russian-inspired.

Reuters witnesses saw some police officers physically attack protesters – who threw eggs and bottles at them – before using teargas, water cannon and stun grenades to force demonstrators from the area outside the Soviet-built parliament building.

Thousands of anti-government demonstrators have shut down Tbilisi’s central streets on a nightly basis since parliament approved the bill’s first reading on 17 April.

Masked riot police violently rushed the peaceful rally while beating and arresting scores of people protesting against the bill. Several journalists were attacked, including an AFP photographer who was beaten with a rubber baton despite being clearly identified as a member of the press, according to the news agency.

Levan Khabeishvili – the chairman of the main opposition United National Movement of jailed ex-president Mikheil Saakashvili – was badly beaten and had to seek medical help.

Read the full story.

Reuters and Agence France-Presse

Good morning and welcome back to the blog.

Today we will be focusing on the latest in Georgia.

Send tips and comments to lili.bayer@theguardian.com.