On the evening of May 8, the threatening phone calls made by unknown persons over the past two days started to materialize. Instances of group violence against leaders who opposed the “Russian law” were reported:
Dimitri Chikovani, a member of the United National Movement, Georgia’s largest opposition party, was viciously attacked and beaten by a group late in the evening on May 8. He has since been hospitalized for treatment at a clinic.
Gia Japaridze, a researcher at the Chavchavadze Center and brother of Zurab Japaridze, leader of the Georgian opposition party Girchi — More Freedom, was physically assaulted by an unidentified group of individuals. He was hospitalized as well.
Lasha Ghvinianidze, organizer of the “Yes to Europe” biker march, fell victim to an assault by unknown persons and suffered injuries requiring stitches to his lip.
On May 8, before the evening assaults, there were further troubling developments involving the Georgian Dream leadership. The Parliament’s Chairman, Shalva Papuashvili, revealed that at a session of the Political Council a decision had been reached to establish a database documenting individuals involved in acts of violence, threats, and blackmail, along with those who publicly endorse such behavior. Civil society in Georgia finds this declaration of intent towards repression deeply troubling, particularly as leaders of the Georgian Dream, including the Prime Minister, have previously labeled peaceful protesters as violent groups.
Amid the ruling party’s efforts to discredit protest participants, a recent incident has surfaced involving a video captured by a citizen, showing a cleaning service group simulating the cleaning of protest sites. However, the reality is quite different—protesters demonstrate high civic responsibility by cleaning the streets themselves after the rally. The video shows employees from the city hall cleaning service tidying up. There are suspicions that this staged scenario was filmed by a drone and later edited to depict protesters in a negative light.
In addition to the unfolding events mentioned above, on May 8, the State Security Service issued a statement indicating that the organizers of the protests would be held accountable for any attempted provocation:
“In the interest of state security and the peaceful coexistence of citizens, we wish to inform the public of concerning developments. According to gathered intelligence, certain groups are attempting to orchestrate provocations during ongoing demonstrations at the Parliament of Georgia. These actions are aimed at instigating destructive and violent scenarios, financed by foreign entities, and orchestrated by specific political party leaders, both parliamentary and non-parliamentary, as well as heads of non-governmental organizations.
Georgian citizens abroad, notably a faction of Georgians engaged in conflict in Ukraine, are actively involved in these plans. They declare readiness to return to Georgia to take part in planned acts of violence against law enforcement. These individuals maintain active communication with counterparts in Georgia, strategizing to blockade and incapacitate parliamentary, governmental, and other administrative buildings.
Specific persons are discussing plans to confront specialized law enforcement units, escalating tensions further. To this end, they are instructing protesters to bring flammable materials to create Molotov cocktails and secretly transport stones and iron batons to rallies.
Drawing inspiration from foreign instructors, notably those associated with the organization ‘CANVAS’ and Peter Ackerman, these organizers seek to incite chaos and civil unrest akin to Maidan and conflicts of the 1990s. Their destructive agenda includes paralyzing traffic junctions in Tbilisi, barricading access roads to key institutions, blocking railways, and occupying central thoroughfares. Funds originating from abroad, frequently facilitated through cryptocurrency for its anonymity, support these schemes. Towards the end of April this year, training sessions were conducted in Georgia by foreign instructors on cryptocurrency transactions. During these sessions, organizers were instructed on clandestinely acquiring funding for radical activities.
To advance and ensure the success of their criminal agenda, these individuals believe in provoking employees of law enforcement agencies. They anticipate that even a single gunshot fired by stakeholder would incite panic, triggering stampedes and resulting in serious injuries and casualties among demonstrators. The rally organizers deem it advantageous for the protests to result in human casualties, as they believe these unfortunate outcomes would amplify the fervor and radicalism of the protests.
The protest organizers specifically aggressively target law enforcement personnel. They employ tactics commonly associated with organizing ‘color revolutions,’ including threatening them, bribing them, and orchestrating their defection to the side of the protestors. These methods ultimately seek to undermine state structures and orchestrate the violent overthrow of the government.
We implore young participants in these protests to resist provocations. To organizers, we issue a stern warning: should their destructive plans materialize, swift legal action will be taken by law enforcement to prevent further escalation, quell disorder, avert civil conflict, and preserve peace in the country.”