Georgian protesters against 'Russia-style' media law mark Orthodox Easter with candlelight vigil

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Georgian protesters against 'Russia-style' media law mark Orthodox Easter with candlelight vigil Several thousand Georgians marked Orthodox Easter with a candlelit protest vigil outside a church located opposite the parliament in the capital, Tbilisi.The vigil was part of the daily demonstrations against a proposed law that critics see as a threat to media freedom and the country’s aspirations to join the European Union.Protesters also crowded along the broad avenue leading to the area, many of them clutching Georgian and European Union flags.They listened as a small choir sang Easter songs and activists bustled about distributing food, including hand-painted eggs and traditional Easter cakes.Unlike at mass rallies earlier this week, which met with a heavy police response, the atmosphere at the vigil was peaceful.Unarmed police officers stationed sparsely at the vigil's sidelines received festive foods along with the protesters.The proposed bill would require media, non-governmental organizations and other nonprofits to register as “pursuing the interests of a foreign power” if they receive more than 20% of their funding from abroad.Protesters and the Georgian opposition have denounced the proposal as “the Russian law,” as Moscow uses similar legislation to stigmatize independent journalists and those critical of the Kremlin.
 
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