United National Movement Leader Warns Government Ahead of October 4 Rally
By Liza Mchedlidze
Wednesday, September 24, 2025
Ana Tsitlidze, a leader of the opposition National Movement, has issued a warning to Georgian Dream ahead of a major rally planned for October 4, saying that no force, including the State Security Service or Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili himself, could confront the thousands of citizens expected to take to the streets.
"The power of righteous people is something an oligarch will always lose against," Tsitlidze told journalists, stressing that the ruling regime has been the source of violence in Georgia for the past 13 years.
Tsitlidze recounted several incidents in which protesters were allegedly attacked by security forces. She cited the near-fatal beating of opposition politician Levan Khabeishvili, the injury of activist Guka Rogava, and other cases of citizens beaten while peacefully protesting. "We have seen the so-called government's illegal actions against Georgian citizens, how they beat, torture, and kill people," she said. "The so-called government, in reality, Ivanishvili's criminal gang, has gone beyond the constitutional framework. It has no legitimacy, neither on the international stage nor among Georgian citizens."
She emphasized that the regime has yet to hold any special forces members accountable for the attacks, despite nearly 500 citizens reportedly being beaten or harmed at previous rallies. "Georgian citizens plan to stand peacefully on October 4 and end the regime, coming to the rally with their children and family members. The so-called government and special forces must know that Georgian citizens have the constitutional right to self-defense and will protect themselves," Tsitlidze said.
Tsitlidze reiterated that past rallies, including those in December and during the Russian law protests, were peaceful, even as participants were reportedly attacked. She warned that any attempt by security forces to suppress the October 4 rally with violence would be met with lawful self-defense by citizens. "In this country, the only one engaging in violence for 13 years is the regime, which lacks legitimacy among Georgian citizens, yet it thinks it can suppress peaceful protests with such violence," she said.
Tsitlidze concluded: "Not even the State Security Service, but even if Bidzina Ivanishvili brings aliens on October 4, no one will be able to confront the thousands of Georgian citizens standing in the streets."
