Why are Gen Z protesting in Georgia?

What in the World

Thousands of young people have been out protesting in Georgia. But this isn’t organised by the opposition or a political party - these demonstrations are being driven by the 20 year olds themselves. It’s all because of a “foreign agents” law the government there is trying to bring in. There’s a fear that this law will suppress dissent and prevent Georgia from eventually joining the European Union.

This law will require non-governmental organisations and media outlets that receive more than 20% of their funding from abroad to register as an "organisation serving the interests of a foreign power". Don’t worry, we’ll go through it all in the episode.

The government says the law aims to increase transparency. Critics refer to it as the “Russian law” because it mirrors similar legislation introduced by Russian President Vladimir Putin in his country.

Nutsa Dzandzava (22) and Dato Dolaberidze (23) have been spending their spare time on the streets of Georgia’s capital Tblisi. We hear why they’re protesting and what they hope to achieve. The BBC’s Rayhan Demytrie explains a bit about Georgia’s history with Russia - and the details of the controversial law that started the protests.

Email: [e-mail] WhatsApp: [phone] Presenter: William Lee Adams Producers: Maria Clara Montoya, Julia Ross-Roy & Alex Rhodes Editor: Emily Horler