Zurab Japaridze: Victory requires exclusively peaceful resistance to bring frightened middle ground onto streets

Girchi–More Freedom leader Zurab Japaridze has outlined a strategy for defeating the regime through strictly non-violent civil resistance, arguing that many opposition figures lack a full understanding of the path to victory.

“Many haven’t fully grasped how we truly reach victory, and because of this, they lack confidence. Yet it’s vital that people engaged in protest understand clearly why we’re doing what we’re doing, where our problems lie, and why this path is the only correct one,” reads a letter from Zurab Japaridze, published on his Facebook page and dated September 29.

In a letter, Japaridze emphasised that Georgia’s political class was never prepared for revolutionary struggle, having been trained for traditional politics rather than resistance against autocracy.

“Most important is understanding that there exists no unique characteristic of Bidzina’s regime that makes the system he’s created unbeatable,” Japaridze stated, noting that worse regimes have been defeated.

He stressed that resistance must be “Gandhi-level peaceful”, warning that any use of force provides propaganda fodder and results in arrests. Research shows non-violent resistance doubles victory chances, defeats regimes three times faster, and creates nine times higher chances of sustainable democracy, he noted.

Japaridze identified the key battleground as two middle groups lying between regime supporters and active opposition: those who understand the situation but support the regime out of fear, and those who oppose it privately but are unwilling to risk street protests.

“Our task is to bring out onto the streets the second group whilst making the first group publicly declare an anti-regime position. There, at that point, we win; there the regime collapses,” he explained.

Victory comes “when every police officer knows that on this side stands a member of his family, all his neighbours, all his loved ones, his childhood mates.”

Japaridze called for unity, constant protest despite repressions, and transparent democratic processes that engage more people in decision-making.

The Girchi leader criticised what he called contradictory messaging, arguing that one cannot simultaneously claim “Russia governs us” whilst “participating in a circus organised by the Russians”, and cannot threaten to flee the country whilst calling for others to stay and fight.

Japaridze concluded his letter by proposing to “test” the strategy on October 4, expressing confidence that “we’ll win” and that “neither Nahayan nor Jebe Noyan can save them.”