Georgian PM Says Daily Protest Gatherings Have Taken on ‘Cult-Like’ Character

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has criticised participants in ongoing daily protest gatherings, saying the movement has taken on what he described as a “cult-like” character.

“For all these days, they themselves have seen that they are failing, yet they continue to gather every day sometimes 20 people, sometimes 50, sometimes 150. These are roughly the numbers involved. Accordingly, this group, this community, has indeed taken on the character of a cult,” Kobakhidze told reporters.

The Prime Minister argued that continuing to gather without, in his view, a realistic objective or prospect of achieving a result resembled a ritual rather than a goal-oriented political activity.

“When you perform rituals on a daily basis without any purpose, knowing that you will not achieve any result, and continue gathering in this manner without being focused on any outcome or objective, this is indeed a form of cult-like activity. There is no other way to describe it,” Kobakhidze said.