“‘Georgian Dream’ has clearly identified where it perceives a threat. For a year now, it has become evident to them that the main threat to ‘Georgian Dream’ comes from citizens, from civil society, which has firmly established itself on Rustaveli Avenue, where protests have been ongoing for nearly a year,” journalist Vasil Ivanov-Chikovan stated on PalitraNews’ program “Resume.”
According to him, ‘Georgian Dream’ and Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze are trying to attribute the protests to specific individuals or parties, framing it as if the protest participants have been misled.
“Irakli Kobakhidze is trying to pin this protest on specific names or parties to obscure the fact that it is truly citizens who are protesting the November 28 decision to halt EU accession talks; citizens who protest and believe that the elections and the overall political distribution today are unjust and that new elections are necessary to address this; citizens who protest the fact that people in black uniforms were unleashed on Rustaveli Avenue, violently dispersing the civil protest, with several of our colleagues narrowly escaping death due to targeted attacks.
Civil society is also protesting how they are manipulating the law – the law has been tailored to their own desires and objectives. If administrative and criminal detention fail to suppress the Rustaveli protests, they may resort to other forms.
‘Georgian Dream’ knows that civil protests are ongoing and will now try every means to either rhetorically portray these people as misled or frame the threat differently. I am not a misled person, I am not a supporter of Nino Lomjaria, nor am I a supporter of any party, and I am protesting the specific issues I’ve outlined. ‘Georgian Dream’ knows very well that this is a major threat to them—Rustaveli Avenue translates into civil society, civil society will inevitably translate into an organized political process, and this political process will bring change, which ‘Georgian Dream’ is desperately trying to delay,” stated Vasil Ivanov-Chikovan.
Vasil Ivanov-Chikovan: ‘Georgian Dream’ has tailored the law to its own desires and objectives; if administrative and criminal detention fail to suppress it, the protest will continue and may take on new forms
