On October 4, 2025, the streets of Tbilisi, Georgia, erupted into chaos as tens of thousands of protesters clashed with riot police outside the presidential palace, marking a dramatic escalation in the country's ongoing political crisis. The unrest followed local elections that saw the ruling Georgian Dream party claim a sweeping victory, winning over 80% of the vote in every municipality—a result opposition parties denounced as illegitimate and the product of a near-total boycott.
The protests began peacefully enough, with demonstrators—many waving Georgian and European Union flags—marching from Chavchavadze Avenue to the Georgian Parliament and then converging on Freedom Square. According to the BBC, the crowd included a broad cross-section of Georgian society, united by frustration with what they see as a government increasingly hostile to democratic norms and Western integration. The demonstration, dubbed a "national assembly" by organizers, was spearheaded by opposition figures and civil society activists who have been rallying supporters for months, demanding the release of political prisoners and new parliamentary elections.
At the center of the day's events was Paata Burchuladze, a renowned opera singer turned political activist, who read out a declaration to the crowd. "Power returns to the people," he proclaimed, branding the government "illegitimate" and announcing a transition. His words, met with thunderous applause, seemed to electrify the protest. Burchuladze went further, urging employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs to obey the will of the people and calling for the immediate arrest of six senior Georgian Dream officials.
Almost immediately after Burchuladze’s declaration, a segment of the protesters surged toward the presidential palace on Atoneli Street. According to Reuters, some managed to destroy the iron fence separating the palace grounds from the street, with a few even briefly entering the territory. Riot police responded with force, deploying water cannons and pepper spray to push back the crowd. The BBC reported that at least five protesters, including Burchuladze himself, were arrested in the ensuing melee. Hundreds more were fined for blocking traffic, with penalties reaching 5,000 Georgian lari (about $1,835) per person.
As the violence intensified, the Ministry of Labour, Health and Social Affairs confirmed that 21 police officers and six protesters were hospitalized with injuries. The crowd eventually dispersed shortly after midnight, but not before several barricades had been erected and set ablaze—a rare sight in the usually tranquil Georgian capital.
Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze wasted no time in condemning the unrest. On Sunday, he accused the demonstrators of attempting to "overthrow the constitutional order," insisting that "every person involved in this violent act will be prosecuted." Kobakhidze went further, alleging without evidence that the government had foiled an "attempted coup planned by foreign intelligence services." He also singled out EU Ambassador Pawel Herczynski, whom he accused of supporting the rally, and called on him to "distance himself and strictly condemn everything that is happening on the streets of Tbilisi," according to Interpress and The Moscow Times.
The government’s response has been swift and unforgiving. Five protest leaders, including Burchuladze—who was reportedly detained in a hospital intensive care unit while being treated for a heart attack—now face up to nine years in prison. The Interior Ministry has launched an investigation into what it describes as "calls to violently alter Georgia's constitutional order or overthrow state authority."
The local elections that sparked the unrest were themselves deeply contentious. The ruling Georgian Dream party, led by billionaire former Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili, claimed landslide victories in all mayoral races and municipal councils. Former AC Milan footballer Kakha Kaladze retained his post as mayor of Tbilisi. Yet, with eight major opposition parties boycotting the ballot, critics argue that the results lack legitimacy. The opposition, which has been organizing near-nightly protests since last year’s disputed parliamentary elections, sees the government as increasingly authoritarian and aligned with Russia—a charge Georgian Dream officials vehemently deny.
The political crisis in Georgia has been simmering for over a year. The 2024 parliamentary elections, which the opposition claims were "rigged," plunged the country into turmoil. The government’s subsequent crackdown on activists, independent media, and civil society—described by Amnesty International as "severe political reprisals"—has only deepened the divide. According to rights groups, around 60 opposition figures, journalists, and activists have been jailed over the past year, while many mainstream opposition leaders now languish behind bars.
For many protesters, the stakes could not be higher. "I want Georgian Dream to go. I want my country back. I want to be able to live peacefully and for my friends who are in jail, illegally imprisoned, to be free," said Ia, a 21-year-old protester who, like many others, wore black clothing, helmets, and gas masks to avoid identification by AI surveillance cameras. Another protester, 24-year-old Irakli, described the chaos near the presidential palace: "There were a lot of people, and then a lot of policemen with their faces covered, all of a sudden we look behind us and see the gas released, so all these people started running, it was very chaotic and the police were running and arresting people. Our eyes were tearing up and it was getting harder to breathe."
Georgia’s pro-Western president, Salome Zourabichvili, has previously described the government’s actions as a "total robbery of your votes," calling the country’s political crisis a "Russian special operation." While the Georgian Dream party insists it is committed to a "European, peaceful, and principled" path, critics point to its increasingly hardline tactics, alleged Kremlin ties, and recent U.S. sanctions against Ivanishvili for "undermining the democratic and Euro-Atlantic future of Georgia for the benefit of the Russian Federation."
The European Union, too, has voiced concern. Brussels has warned that it could suspend Georgians’ visa-free travel to the EU unless the government improves the rule of law and protects fundamental rights. Several Georgian Dream officials have already been sanctioned over previous crackdowns on protesters.
As the dust settles in Tbilisi, the future of Georgia’s democracy remains uncertain. For now, the government appears determined to hold its ground, promising more prosecutions and doubling down on its narrative of foreign interference and opposition-led destabilization. The opposition, meanwhile, vows to continue its struggle, insisting that the fight for a democratic, European Georgia is far from over.
The events of October 4, 2025, have left an indelible mark on the country—a stark reminder of the deep divisions that persist and the high cost of political dissent in Georgia today.
