UNM’s Ana Tsitlidze: To those daydreaming of 20% in their bitter delusions who can’t even get three people to a birthday party, I have nothing to say; your own delusional inadequacy is burden enough

“The demonstration went ahead exactly as planned in the Rike Park amphitheatre, where people stood their ground despite torrential rain,” United National Movement (UNM) politician Ana Tsitlidze wrote in a social media post following the rally.

Tsitlidze framed the event as the start of a renewed chapter for Georgia’s opposition party.

“First, the Ministry of Internal Affairs told us they wouldn’t let us hold it and threatened to fine everyone who showed up. Then we navigated a million technical hurdles, and yet it went ahead exactly as planned in the Rike amphitheatre. Despite pouring rain, the people didn’t budge,” Tsitlidze wrote.

“This is merely the beginning of the party consolidating its strength and entering a new phase. As for those people harbouring bitter fantasies of hitting 20% at the polls, when in reality you couldn’t get three people to show up to your own birthday party—let alone a political rally—and when you don’t even register in public opinion polling: I won’t say a word to you. Your own delusional inadequacy is punishment enough. Freedom for Mikheil Saakashvili! Freedom for all political prisoners!” she continued.

Tsitlidze’s comments follow a social media post by Tamar Chergoleishvili, leader of the opposition Federalists party, who shared video footage from the UNM rally with the scathing caption: ‘For five days the TV news has been non-stop about the UNM rally—they’ve driven us mad with it, and this is all that turned up.’

The United National Movement staged the demonstration in Tbilisi’s Rike Park to demand the immediate release of former President Mikheil Saakashvili.