Georgian police have arrested all five members of the organizing committee behind a protest movement that coincided with the country’s municipal elections, accusing them of calling for the overthrow of the government and organizing violent unrest.
According to News Georgia, the Ministry of Internal Affairs said the group’s leaders repeatedly urged demonstrators to use force during the October 4 rally on Freedom Square in Tbilisi.
“During the rally, organizers made violent statements that continued even after October 4. Despite repeated calls from the ministry to maintain a peaceful demonstration, several protesters and organizers dismantled barriers near the presidential palace on Atoneli Street and attempted to storm the building,” said Deputy Interior Minister Aleksandre Darakhvelidze.
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The protest – branded by its organizers as a campaign for a “peaceful revolution” – took place in parallel with the municipal elections. The organizing committee declared the current government “illegitimate” and demanded the peaceful transfer of power.
A group of demonstrators reportedly marched toward the presidential residence, located roughly one kilometer from the main protest site, and tried to break through the gates. Riot police responded with tear gas and water cannons, while protesters threw fireworks and stones.
The Ministry of Health said 21 police officers and six protesters were hospitalized.
The arrests mark a sharp escalation in political tensions ahead of Georgia’s ongoing debate over democratic standards and state legitimacy – a conflict increasingly watched by both Western partners and regional observers.
