Thousands of people took to the streets of the Georgian capital Tbilisi on Sunday in opposition to the controversial bill that would require all non-government organizations and other entities receiving funding from abroad to register as “foreign agents” and report their activities to the authorities.

Earlier this month, the legislation officially known as the bill ‘On the Transparency of Foreign Influence’ was approved by the parliament in its first reading. Opposition parties and rights groups called for mass protests against its expected passage, with the latest mass rally held on Sunday, ahead of the second reading next week.

The crowd marched through Shota Rustaveli Avenue in central Tbilisi featuring a large “Yes – Europe” banner, and gathered in front of the parliament building in Republic Square waving the national, EU and even Ukrainian flags.

The situation escalated when a group of protesters tried to break through the barriers surrounding the government building, prompting riot police to use pepper spray. Authorities urged the protesters to maintain public order saying that the law enforcement units have been mobilized to protect the “safety of citizens.”

“The protest... took on a violent manner. Participants of the rally verbally and physically confront the law enforcement officers at the site. Despite appeals made by police, activists attempted to break through the police cordon multiple times,” the Ministry of Internal Affairs said in a brief statement, adding that “to restore order, police administered special means established by law.”