Police in Georgia's capital have used tear gas and water cannons to disperse protesters who rallied outside the country's parliament to protest a bill that would require media and non-commercial organizations to register as being under foreign influence if they get over 20% of their funding from abroad.

Critics have labelled the divisive bill "the Russian law", comparing it with Moscow's "foreign agent" legislation which has been used to crack down on dissent there.

Riot police beat and arrested scores of people protesting against a bill that critics say resembles Russian legislation used to silence dissent.

Georgian police on April 30 attacked protesters with tear gas and water cannons outside the parliament building in Tbilisi, where demonstrators gathered to protest the government's controversial "foreign agents" law,