DISINFO: The protests in Georgia were organised by the United States
SUMMARY
The US authorities organised a popular protest against this law [on "Foreign Agents"] in order to prevent it from being adopted. They feared that this law would reveal a huge number of Western organisations on the territory of Georgia, acting in the interests of foreign states.
RESPONSE
Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives about foreign-led ‘colour revolutions’ and Ukraine’s Maidan protests.
Framing all popular protests against Russia’s interests as a foreign-led ‘colour revolution’ is a frequent pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative. There is no evidence given to back any of these allegations. In fact, Georgia’s protests are driven by strong rejection among Georgian citizens of the controversial ‘foreign agents law’, which critics say mirrors a 2012 law in Russia used to crack down on dissent and suppress western-funded NGOs and media, and which could be used to restrict freedom of expression and association. The bill could impede Georgia’s hopes for closer ties with the European Union, following local and international criticism, including from the US, EU and its member states, as well as the UN.
The pro-Kremlin media frequently falsely portray popular protests around the world as instigated from abroad, often by the US and the West. The disinformation narrative has been applied, among others, to reports about protests in Georgia, Ukraine, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Belarus, Venezuela, Slovakia, Hong Kong, with the aim of portraying protest movements as aggressive actors who constantly prepare new coups.
Read similar disinformation cases claiming that The US is behind attempts to "shake" the situation in Georgia, that Protests in Georgia are attempt to forcibly change power, resembling Euromaidan, that Protests in Georgia orchestrated from abroad, that The West obstructs Georgia’s attempt to become an independent state, or that Foreign agents in Georgia exploit naïve protesters for regime change.