UNM’s Nadiradze urges mass turnout for Oct. 4, says many security officers will side with people

United National Movement leader Irakli Nadiradze on Tuesday called for a large, peaceful national gathering on October 4 and said the vast majority of security personnel whom billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili reportedly counts on will ultimately stand “on the side of the people.”

Nadiradze made the remarks in a lengthy social-media post outlining his expectations for the planned rally on Rustaveli Avenue.

Nadiradze urged supporters to turn out in large numbers - “hundreds of thousands,” he wrote - describing the event as a peaceful, determined and intelligent demonstration aimed at defending Georgia’s freedom, dignity and European future. He argued that if many people attend, plans by the authorities to disperse or otherwise undermine the gathering will fail.

He claimed that many law-enforcement officers do not want to confront protesters and that, at the last moment, a large portion of them will side with demonstrators. Nadiradze also said that some security officials privately shared what he called an “action plan” they believe would be doomed if turnout is high.

Nadiradze dismissed a range of possible Government responses - from attempts to fracture the crowd to calls for patience and promises of reforms - and said none would work if the public shows up in force. He singled out what he called the “Ivanishvili and Russian regime” and vowed that “victory will be the people’s” if turnout is large.