Georgia Anticipates October 4 Rally Amid Rising Tensions, Discontent
Things appear to be getting tense in Georgia as opposition and activist groups prepare for a mass rally on October 4, the day of partially boycotted local elections. Organizers call for a “peaceful overthrow” of the Georgian Dream government, while authorities have arrested opposition leader Levan Khabeishvili over his mobilization efforts and warned of a strict response.
Paata Burchuladze, a renowned Georgian opera singer and leader of the “Rustaveli Avenue” activist group, first announced the October 4 rally in July, calling it “the day of historic victory” and “the day of peacefully overthrowing [Bidzina] Ivanishvili.” Some opposition parties, including the United National Movement, have endorsed the plan, while others, such as the Federalists, remain cautious. Yet amid subsequent arrests and rising campaign violence, October 4 appears to be gaining momentum as a decisive date.
“We will hold the national assembly peacefully, and we will take over the government peacefully,” Burchuladze told Palitranews on September 15. “If anyone follows Bidzina Ivanishvili’s whims – shootings or anything – we will respond very harshly. This cannot be stopped. They have two options: leave peacefully or resist and still leave.”
Promised Date
The rally is scheduled to start at 4 p.m., with Burchuladze saying he hopes that by 8 p.m. “the power transfer should be completed.” He expects a turnout of 200,000 to 300,000 people and plans to announce a “technical government.”
“We want to peacefully topple Bidzina Ivanishvili. Give us the opportunity to do this peacefully,” he said, warning that arresting all organizers would backfire. Referring to the recent developments in Nepal where the protesters toppled the government, he added, “They should leave several organizers free so the rally remains controllable – otherwise we’ve seen what uncontrolled crowds can do in Nepal.”
Several UNM politicians echoed the remarks, promising a “box full of surprises” after the arrest of Levan Khabeishvili, the party’s former chair and a leading rally advocate. Khabeishvili was detained on September 11 over his public statements on offering money to riot police to step aside during the October 4 rally, and was later remanded in custody on an additional charge of coup incitement.
Georgian security services also linked a recent arrest of two Ukrainian citizens, who, authorities claim, were transporting explosive materials to Georgia, with the upcoming October 4 vote, despite citing the suspects as saying they were heading for Russia.
Protest, Repression, Election
Anticipation for the rally builds as ongoing protests, sparked by Georgian Dream’s November 28, 2024, announcement to suspend EU integration, approach their 300th day, with protesters continuing to gather daily with varying turnout.
Part of the opposition is boycotting the municipal elections scheduled for October 4, citing ongoing repression, the imprisonment of dozens of protesters and a growing number of political figures, limited local and international observation, and crackdowns on opposition, media, and watchdog groups as making it impossible to have a fair election. The campaign has also been marred by thug violence, including September 8 attacks on protesters that injured several demonstrators and journalists.
Discontent is also growing ahead of Brussels’ anticipated decision on whether to suspend the visa-free travel Georgians have enjoyed since 2017, following the August 31 deadline for Georgian Dream authorities to meet various reform and human rights-related conditions.
It remains unclear whether the two major opposition forces that have decided to take part in the municipal vote – the For Georgia party led by ex-Prime Minister and the Strong Georgia alliance led by the Lelo party – will be joining the October 4 gathering. Some of the boycotting forces, too, have shown skepticism about the planned rally, with Tamar Chergoleishvili, leader of the Federalists party, repeatedly criticising the organizers for creating excessive expectations for “desperate citizens” by setting one particular date.
“A rally is good. Ridiculing citizens’ expectations is bad,” Chergoleishvili wrote on September 16 on Facebook.
The rally, meanwhile, is gaining traction in activist circles, with at least two events circulating on social media calling for gatherings in Tbilisi on the scheduled date.
Georgian Dream Warns of Strict Response
Ruling Georgian Dream officials have argued that the opposition’s plan is doomed to fail, while warning they would respond to any attempts to ‘overthrow’ the government and expressing skepticism about the plan’s claimed peaceful nature.
“They are directly talking about radicalism, setting [things] on fire, Molotov [cocktails], overthrowing. I call on everyone to treat their rhetoric with caution,” Georgian Dream Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze told reporters on September 16, commenting on the rally rhetoric. “The state and the law will be duly strict towards any display of radicalism.”
GD Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili called the rhetoric “yet another escalation,” warning that anyone trying “to change the government through violence will be held accountable under the law.”
“When October 5 comes, these people who are now organizing the violent overthrow of the government will, of course, receive the appropriate response from the Georgian people,” Papuashvili noted on September 16.
Also Read:
- 15/09/2025 – Imedi TV Reports New Criminal Probe Into Protests, Points at Universities
- 11/09/2025 – UNM’s Khabeishvili Arrested for Publicly Offering Money to Riot Police