Georgia was bracing itself for a second day of protests on Wednesday a night after police deployed water cannons and tear gas against tens of thousands of people trying to block a "Kremlin-inspired" law targeting free speech.

The mooted new “foreign agents” law was given initial backing yesterday, paving the way for onerous registration requirements to be imposed on media outlets, NGOs and any organisations with ties abroad.

It is widely seen as an attempt to borrow from Russia's playbook of repressing dissent. The issue threatens to expose the splits in the country between those who are pro-Moscow, and those who would like to see the country join the EU. 

Demonstrators gathered outside the parliament in the capital Tbilisi on Tuesday night to call for the law to be scrapped. 

The protests were initially peaceful, with opposition activists changing “No to Russian law!” and “Slaves!”

But later on a group of activists smashed barricades around the entrance to the parliament building and blocked it. Several protesters were seen hurling Molotov cocktails and stones at the riot police.

At least 66 protesters were detained including the leader of Georgia’s Libertarian Party. 

The Interior Ministry said the rally “overstepped the limits of a peaceful gathering prescribed by the law and turned violent".

But Georgia's main opposition party has called for fresh protests on Wednesday and ongoing unrest until the law is scrapped.

"Starting from 3:00pm, Georgians will start to gather on Rustaveli Avenue and that will continue every day," politician Nika Melia said. 

The new bill would impose bureaucratic restrictions on media and NGOs with foreign ties, a move that bears a striking resemblance to a Russian foreign agent law that the Kremlin has turned into a blunt instrument to harass and shutter any of its critics.

The international community has expressed concern about the law. 

Georgia's EU membership bid 

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said the draft law was a "very bad development" for the country and could seriously affect Georgia’s ties with the EU.

Georgia applied for EU membership together with Ukraine and Moldova, days after Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24.

In June, EU leaders granted formal candidate status to Kyiv and Chisinau but said Tbilisi must implement a number of reforms first.

Plans to join NATO and the EU are enshrined in Georgia's constitution and are supported by at least 80 percent of the population, according to opinion polls.

The US embassy in Georgia called the legislation "Kremlin-inspired" and said it was incompatible with Georgia's desire to join the European Union.

"Today is a dark day for Georgia's democracy," the embassy said in a statement, adding that the legislation raises questions about "the ruling party's commitment to Euro-Atlantic integration".

The law that was preliminary adopted on Tuesday was put forward by a splinter group of the ruling party, which many in Georgia have criticised as pro-Russian.

Despite the overwhelming public support for Ukraine, Georgia’s government has not joined international sanctions against Russia and in recent months started turning away Russian dissidents who found shelter in this country after Vladimir Putin’s invasion.

The bill is widely perceived as the government’s most decisive attempt to date to curtail civil liberties brought to Georgia with the 2003 Rose Revolution.

Georgia’s most popular media outlets issued a statement last month, condemning the bill that would oblige them to register as “foreign agents”.

“We are not going to work with this label and we refuse to register as “agents of foreign influence”: It’s beneath our dignity,” the 63 media outlets said in the joint statement last month.

Khatia Dekanoidze, a member of the opposition National Movement Rally, told parliament: “Everyone should understand that saving our country, saving our young generation, saving our future lies only through the European path.”

“The law is anti-democratic, taking a step back to the Soviet Union,” added Kote Gabrichidze, head of the Georgian Association of Restaurateurs. “We need to support Georgia’s path to the European Union.”

Salome Zourabichvili, the Georgian president, expressed support for the demonstrators and vowed to veto the law in a video from the United States where she is on an official visit.

“I am standing in New York, and behind me is the Statue of Liberty. This is is a symbol for which Georgia has always fought, for which we have come to this day," she said. 

"I am with you, because today you represent free Georgia. Georgia, which sees its future in Europe and will not give anyone the right to take this future. This law must be abolished in any form."

Georgian Dream, the ruling party, has denied suggestions that the law seeks to curtail civil liberties but defended it as a step to protect his country.

“None of this has anything to do with Europe and European values,” Irakli Kobakhidze, the party’s chairman, said of the protests.

“Unless we protect our country from spies, we will not only lose a chance to become an EU member but we will also lose our sovereignty.”

The Georgian Dream party vowed to send the bill to the Venice Commission, an advisory body for the Council of Europe, for examination and follow their recommendations.