Civic activists, opposition politicians, and family members of those detained during the rallies announced a march from Republic Square to the Parliament on October 26 at 7:00 p.m. The announcement was made on Rustaveli Avenue in front of the Parliament.
The main demands of the protest march are: “The government’s resignation, free elections without Ivanishvili’s control, and the release of all political prisoners.”
“October 26 marks one year since the regime not only stole the vote from citizens who wanted change but also deceived its own voters—it promised to lead them to Europe with dignity and betrayed them the moment it seized power.
In reality, on October 26, 2024, Ivanishvili’s regime took a step to formalize a constitutional coup – the clear confirmation of this was the regime’s statement on November 28 renouncing Georgia’s European future and statehood.
Merab Kostava’s prophecy came true – we surpassed Georgia’s independence, but it was also stated that if we stop fighting, we will lose the freedom we have gained.
The Georgian society met the usurpation of the supreme constitutional right of choice, the Euro-Atlantic future, and real national independence with continuous resistance, which it continues today – despite repressions, intimidation, violence, and deprivation of liberty.
The regime deepens international isolation daily and threatens national independence, which we have historically always lost when we stand alone against Russia, because Russia’s task is to destroy neighboring states. Its only restraint is our defense capability and Western support – Ivanishvili’s regime is depriving Georgia of both.
The regime is in moral isolation, which, combined with international pressure, intensifies clan confrontations within the regime. It tries to maintain power through cultivating fear, but it cannot stop the protest with fear.
The demonstration of the protest’s strength was the voters’ attitude toward the farce called the October 4 elections – even with falsified numbers, it is clear that the regime’s foundation is shaky – more than two-thirds of voters did not go to the polls.
In such a situation, to achieve results, it is very important not to give them a chance to breathe and to show them that our strength and will have not gone anywhere.
It is also no less important to realize that the fight in Georgia is not between Ivanishvili and the opposition, but between Russian autocracy and democracy, Soviet past and free future, oligarchic rule tailored to one man’s whims and Georgian society.
Only consistent, principled, non-violent popular resistance has the potential for victory in this fight, which clearly demands not only a change of regime but also a systemic reset of the entire political spectrum, democratization, and placing it at the service of society’s interests.
Therefore, we call on everyone for whom Georgia’s statehood, independence, and dignified European future are important, who is outraged by Georgia’s current state, and who knows that only with democratic unity, determination, firmness, and consistency can we achieve national goals: let us gather on October 26 at Republic Square and march to the Parliament to show that we are still very many, we do not yield, and we continue the peaceful struggle to the end, until victory!
On October 26 at 7:00 p.m., we will gather at Republic Square and demand the government’s resignation, free elections without Ivanishvili’s control, and the release of all political prisoners,” the statement reads.
