UNM’s Botkoveli says mass turnout on October 4 will force government to retreat

Giorgi Botkoveli, regional secretary of Georgia’s opposition United National Movement, has said that the sheer number of people attending a planned 4 October rally in Tbilisi will determine the people’s position and compel the government to step back.

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Botkoveli argued that previous demonstrations lacked sufficient turnout to exert pressure, but insisted that the upcoming protest would be different. “The presence of many people determines the people’s position, and the presence of many people will force this so-called government, which has effectively been occupied, to step back,” he said.

Botkoveli also warned law enforcement against using violence, saying that obeying unlawful orders would be “unjust” and urging officers to uphold human rights during the event.