GEORGIAN politicians began debating the first reading of a Bill on “foreign agents” today as protests against the measure on organisations and charities continued for a second day.

Thousands of pro-European Union protesters gathered outside the parliament building in Tbilisi today despite being faced with riot police and water cannons on Monday.

The Bill would require groups receiving more than 20 per cent of their funding from abroad to register as being agents of foreign influence, with critics comparing it to Russian legislation.