“Free Misha!”: Massive Rally in Tbilisi Backs Saakashvili

The main demand of the rally is the release of Saakashvili.

On the evening of October 14, thousands of people gathered in central Tbilisi demanding the release of former President Mikheil Saakashvili, detained after returning to Georgia. He himself considers himself a political prisoner and continues his hunger strike. 

How the Rally Went

The rally was organized by the largest opposition party, the United National Movement, founded by Saakashvili. In the morning, opposition motorcades began arriving in Tbilisi from different parts of Georgia to take part in the action. 

In some districts they were met by groups of aggressive counter-demonstrators, opponents of the former government. Some threw brooms at the cars, symbolizing torture in prisons under the previous government, and shouted their grievances. 

However, by evening, participants of the opposition action had filled Freedom Square in the city center and part of Rustaveli Avenue. A stage was set up on the square with fragments of the EU flag, golden stars, the Georgian flag and the inscription “Freedom to Misha”. Speeches were delivered from it, songs were sung and poems were read. 

The general director of the Mtavari Arkhi TV channel and one of Saakashvili’s lawyers read out another message from the former Georgian president from prison. He called for participation in the second round of local elections, which is to be held on October 30. 

Mikheil Saakashvili
former President of Georgia

I cannot watch from the sidelines as our homeland is destroyed. I would prefer death to this. That is why I am here. I am here and firmly resolved to stay, so as to contribute to the defeat of the regime and to the struggle of the Georgian people against poverty, corruption, injustice and destruction. To stand together with the Georgian people against the Ivanishvili regime, which is dragging our homeland into Putin’s Russia. We must all together not allow this and all together must return Georgia to the path leading to the West. 

Tbilisi mayoral candidate Nika Melia spoke at the rally and stated: “No one should harbor even the slightest hope that Mikheil Saakashvili, the third president of this country, will be locked up in prison and that we will not continue the fight until he is released.” 

“A very powerful charge”

The United National Movement called on all citizens of Georgia to join the October 14 action regardless of their political sympathies. However, most opposition parties, in particular those that call Saakashvili a political prisoner, did not join. They announced that their politicians could take part in the rally individually, if they wished. 

Many attendees did not hide that they had not expected the opposition rally to be so large, and linked this to Saakashvili’s return to his homeland. He remains one of the most popular opposition leaders on Georgia’s political scene, although he had not lived in the country for the past eight years. 

One of the participants said: “Look how many people there are, a sea of people. People have found hope since Misha returned!” 

Another rally participant said: “You can feel the charge, a very strong charge. There have been other opposition rallies, but there were never this many people at them. This is unexpected for me too, and I am very glad. It seems the people have finally woken up.” 

According to the woman, she came to the action out of a sense of injustice and agrees with the main demand of the action, the release of Saakashvili: “Let someone first do more for Georgia than this man has, and only then judge him.” 

The ruling party says that the October 14 action once again showed that the expectations of the opposition and Saakashvili himself have not been met. The head of the Georgian Dream party commented on the opposition action and stated that everyone is watching the “beginning of the end” of the National Movement. 

Irakli Kobakhidze
head of the Georgian Dream party

This is a very good process for our country and for Georgian democracy. This is what our society has been waiting for, for years. For almost two decades, the “National Movement” has not let this country rest.