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AMNA NAWAZ: Today, the 
Parliament in the country of 
Georgia passed a contentious

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new bill that requires aid and 
civil society groups and media 
that receive foreign funding

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to register as -- quote -- 
"organizations serving the 
interests of a foreign power."

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Georgia is a country of 
3.6 million people between 
Russia and Turkey on

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the Black Sea. Critics 
dub the bill the Russia 
law and say it could

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increase Russian influence 
and block Georgia's 
integration into the West.

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Here's Nick Schifrin with more.

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NICK SCHIFRIN: They filled the 
streets of the capital, Tbilisi, 
by the tens of thousands,

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mostly young Georgians who 
hope the West is their future 
and their shield against

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authorities pushing the 
new law and pushing back 
on demonstrators' dreams.

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Police have kicked, beaten, 
surrounded and arrested dozens 
of protesters, including

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two Americans. These are 
the largest protests in 
Georgia since independence 
nearly 35 years ago.

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ANA TSITLIDZE, Georgia 
Parliament Member: 
The consequences of 
this law will be very,

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very bad for Georgia, for the 
civil society of Georgia, for 
the opposition of Georgia.

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NICK SCHIFRIN: Ana Tsitlidze 
is a Georgian parliamentarian

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and member of the opposition 
United National Movement. 
When she protested,

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she ended up in the back of 
an ambulance beaten by police.

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ANA TSITLIDZE: I was injured 
when I tried to help the 
young girl. I was beaten,

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and I was hospitalized. We 
are very, very angry. And 
I don't care. I'm angry.

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NICK SCHIFRIN: The ruling 
Georgian Dream party 
has pushed through the

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law that designates 
organizations with more than

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20 percent foreign 
financing as -- quote -- 
"foreign influence agents."

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The party's chairman, 
former Prime Minister 
Bidzina Ivanishvili, argues

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the bill increases transparency 
and fights foreign meddling.

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BIDZINA IVANISHVILI, 
Honorary Chairman, Georgian 
Dream Party (through 
translator): The financing

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of NGOs, which portrays 
itself as assistance,

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is in reality strengthening 
intelligence agencies 
and helping bring them 
to power. This money has

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nothing to do with assistance. 
Their only aim is the loss 
of Georgian sovereignty.

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NICK SCHIFRIN: But the 
bill's critics call it a 
Trojan horse that echoes 
Russia's 2012 foreign

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agent law, which the Kremlin 
used to crack down on 
criticism and even detain 
American journalists,

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despite initially claiming 
it too was designed to 
tackle foreign meddling.

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Today, in Georgia's Parliament, 
the two sides tussled before 
the final vote. Ana Tsitlidze

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tried to keep the peace, even 
if she says the bill wages war 
on Georgia's civil society.

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ANA TSITLIDZE: If you compare 
the text of Ivanishvili's 
law and Putin's Russian law,

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you can see that they are 
very similar. And this bill 
have -- gives possibility

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government to monitoring NGOs, 
to close them if he decided 
to arrest the civil activists.

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We already see consequences. 
We have politicians who are

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beaten by the special 
forces of Ivanishvili.

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NICK SCHIFRIN: More 
than 20 years ago,

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Georgia was the first 
ex-Soviet republic to 
launch a pro-democracy 
revolution. In 2008,

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Russian troops invaded and 
have occupied 20 percent 
of Georgia ever since.

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Georgian Dream won elections 
in 2012, financed by 
Ivanishvili's billions,

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which were made in 
post-Soviet Russia.

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TINATIN JAPARIDZE, Eurasia 
Group: Now, more than ever, 
there is so much at stake here.

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NICK SCHIFRIN: Tinatin Japaridze 
is an analyst for Eurasia 
group. She says Georgian Dream's

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motivation to stay in power 
past upcoming elections has 
led it to align with Moscow.

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TINATIN JAPARIDZE: It's 
likely that the timing of 
this rollout by the Georgian

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Dream, in many ways 
influenced and inspired, 
if not directly asked,

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by the Kremlin. We are 
seeing now a lot of signposts 
that show that a lot of the

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Georgian Dream's objectives and 
goals coincide with the broader 
goals and objectives of Russia.

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NICK SCHIFRIN: And those 
goals could threaten 
Georgians' desire to join the

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European Union and the E.U.'s 
willingness to continue 
negotiations. It could also

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lead to U.S. sanctions 
and the end of U.S. 
military and economic aid,

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Assistant Secretary of State 
for Europe and Eurasia Jim 
O'Brien warned today in Tbilisi.

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JAMES O'BRIEN, U.S. Assistant 
Secretary of State for European 
and Eurasian Affairs: If the law

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goes forward, out of 
conformity with E.U. norms,

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and there's undermining 
of democracy here and 
there's violence against 
peaceful protesters,

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peaceful protesters, then we 
will see restrictions coming 
from the United States.

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Those tend to be financial 
and/or travel restrictions

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on the individuals 
responsible for those 
actions and their families.

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NICK SCHIFRIN: Do you want 
the United States to do more?

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ANA TSITLIDZE: And the United 
States also, I think, must 
ensure sanctions against the

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Ivanishvili, against 
the Ivanishvili's family 
members, against the 
Georgian Dream leaders,

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against the members of 
the Parliament from the 
Georgian Dream who voted 
for this Russian law,

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and against the special forces 
leaders of Ivanishvili who beat

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the young people in 
the streets of Tbilisi.

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NICK SCHIFRIN: And so 
the people will prolong 
their protests even today,

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banging on the barricades 
of the institution 
meant to protect them,

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fearing their future and their 
country's relationship with 
the West is under threat.

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For the "PBS NewsHour," 
I'm Nick Schifrin.