Georgia footballers protest against Tbilisi’s ‘foreign influence’ bill | Georgia
Main gamers in Georgia’s nationwide males’s soccer crew have backed mass protests sparked by a “overseas affect” invoice criticised for mirroring a repressive Russian legislation. Riot police have clashed in latest nights with massive rallies of individuals protesting exterior the parliament constructing in Tbilisi towards the bill, which is seen in Brussels as a menace to future EU membership. Jaba Kankava, the captain of Georgia’s nationwide soccer crew, which just lately certified for Euro 2024, its first main match, posted an image on Instagram of two protesters staring down riot police on Tuesday evening, including: “Fuck Russia.” A bunch of different nationwide crew gamers, together with Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, a winger for Italy’s Serie A membership Napoli, and Giorgi Mamardashvili, who’s a goalkeeper for Valencia in Spain’s La Liga, additionally posted what seemed to be coordinated messages on social media. They wrote: “Georgia’s path is to Europe. The European manner unites us!! Ahead to Europe!! Peace to Georgia.” Hundreds of individuals gathering in entrance of the Georgian parliament constructing to protest on 16 April. {Photograph}: Nicolo Vincenzo Malvestuto/Getty Pictures David Kezerashvili, who served as Georgia’s defence minister on the time of the 2008 Russian invasion of…