In a demonstration against the controversial foreign transparency bill police detained 23 individuals on central Heroes' Square spanning the evening of May 2nd and into the early hours of May 3rd. The protest, which gathered momentum against the legislation, saw confrontations between demonstrators and law enforcement.

The country’s Interior Ministry claimed the arrests primarily targeted participants congregating on Heroes' Square and its surroundings. All detainees face charges related to administrative offenses, notably petty hooliganism and disobedience to police directives.

The crackdown on dissent has intensified over recent days, with approximately a hundred people arrested during successive nights of protest.

Amidst the tensions, an incident unfolded in the early hours of May 3rd around 01:00 at Heroes' Square. Eyewitnesses, including two injured men, recounted being assaulted by alleged "provocateurs" who arrived at the square, disembarked from their vehicles, and launched physical attacks.

Georgia’s foreign partners have cautioned Georgian authorities that passing the foreign transparency bill could hinder the country's progress toward EU accession. The bill mandates that NGOs register and submit financial declarations annually if they obtain more than 20 percent of their funding from abroad, with penalties of 25,000 GEL for non-compliance.

Western-funded NGOs and media outlets contend that their financial transparency and compliance are already evident, suggesting that the government's true aim is to restrict organizations addressing human rights and corruption.