Georgian Dream official claims recent protests funded by foreign interests

Dimitri Samkharadze, regional secretary of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Monday commented on two recent demonstrations in Georgia, claiming their purpose was to weaken the country. He asserted on social media that foreign adversaries were financing both events.

Samkharadze wrote that the main difference between the two protests was the composition of attendees: "At this stage, more of the first protest’s participants were misled than bribed” - in reference to Alt-Info protest in central Tbilisi on Sunday against the government announced six billion USD UAE investment. 

He added that past protests organized by opposition forces similarly failed to mobilize large numbers of supporters effectively, drawing parallels with events such as the “LGBT week” protests in Tbilisi, where initial turnout was high, but follow-up events attracted only a fraction of participants.

"Georgian citizens cannot be easily deceived anymore, whether by bought participants or those pretending to defend the country," Samkharadze said. He also suggested that former opposition groups, political provocateurs, and a small number of individuals previously involved in protests were now attempting to unite under new instructions.