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The governing party in Georgia has withdrawn a controversial draft law on foreign agents that had sparked days of protests on the streets of the capital, Tbilisi. Many Georgians feared the legislation would restrict civil liberties. In a statement, the party, Georgian Dream, accepted that the bill had caused division in society and have unconditionally withdrawn the bill. The protest crowds were mainly young, and many were carrying Georgian and EU flags. Katie Shoshiashvili, a protester and EaP democratization researcher, says the bill was inspired by Russian law and that Georgia is "already a country captured by an oligarch, we saw growing authoritarian tendencies and a growing Russian sentiment in Georgian government". But that Georgians were willing to fight and the country "stands very united in defense of our European future". (Photo: People protest against the "foreign agents" law in Tbilisi. Credit: Reuters)