Salome Zurabishvili said that the protest movement in Tbilisi “has not gone anywhere” and that tens of thousands will continue to rally peacefully until change is achieved. Speaking to journalists on Rustaveli Avenue, she emphasized that the people “are standing their ground” and that the government’s attempts to suppress the movement will not succeed.
Zurabishvili described Rustaveli Avenue as “the regime’s main target,” accusing the authorities of trying to intimidate protesters, distort their image and portray the peaceful movement as violent. “This is a completely peaceful society that refuses to accept an illegitimate government formed through rigged elections, one that turned its back on our European future,” she said.
Commenting on the recent unrest near the Orbeliani Palace, the former president called it “a trap set by the regime,” stressing that such incidents do not reflect the spirit of the ongoing protests. “It is impossible that people who have been standing here for over 300 days to defend the Constitution would suddenly abandon their principles,” she stated.
Zurabishvili urged patience and resilience, noting that the struggle against what she called a “dictatorial, Russian-backed regime” requires endurance rather than rash actions. “There are no ready-made recipes for how this will end,” she said. “But the determination and unity of the Georgian people remain our greatest strength.”
