“The events of October 4 have been addressed repeatedly. I don’t want to discuss it daily because it suits GD to talk about it as if the other side were violent too. In reality, at no stage has the protesting crowd been violent, not even on October 4,” United National Movement member Irakli Pavlenishvili has stated.

According to Pavlenishvili, October 4 was a political provocation.

“We’ll get a better understanding of the details once specific individuals say more. Until then, we have limited information, but these people who were there on October 4 and before, and who gathered afterwards, have never been violent. Not on October 4, and at no stage has the Georgian people been the instigator and initiator of violence. Ivanishvili has dragged us into violence, chaos, and crisis. He’s the one who has adopted repressive laws, who beats people, who poisons them, and you’re saying these people should be silenced so the country’s reputation isn’t damaged,” Pavlenishvili noted.

According to him, protest participants have had cause to be angry many times, but the protest action has never been violent.

“I don’t believe in the so-called ‘Molotov cocktails’. There’s constant talk about them. Even before I entered politics, rumours circulated about people burning tyres and engaging in various forms of unrest. However, despite numerous investigations, no credible evidence has ever been presented to the public indicating that anyone genuinely intended to incite mass disorder in the country. After so many years of peaceful protests and gatherings, if there had been any intent to resort to violence, surely it would have happened at some point, wouldn’t it? The protesters had ample reason to be angry with Gavrilov, and indeed, on many occasions before, yet their demonstrations have never turned violent.

Protest rallies have never exhibited signs of violence. While there are instances where protesting crowds have behaved violently, I cannot recall any demonstrations more peaceful than those in Georgia. In recent years, especially after the Constitution was disregarded and the country’s direction was altered, people have endured torture; even then, they have strived to remain as peaceful as possible. When special forces attack an individual and subject them to physical assault, and when a person acts in self-defence, that cannot be equated with a protest turning violent. It is utterly unthinkable.

Regarding the claims about damaging reputations, has any specific individual exposed for violence been actually punished? They are the very instigators of the violence. If they genuinely wanted it to cease, they would also take action against those on their own side. If no punishment is meted out to the perpetrators within their ranks, what does that say about the occurrence of violence at all?” Irakli Pavlenishvili stated.