On the anniversary of the events of October 4, 2025, Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili called on Brussels to condemn the attempt to seize the presidential palace in Tbilisi and to reconsider its support for the Georgian opposition.
According to Papuashvili, the forceful action on October 4 was preceded by weeks of public calls for a change of government and discussions regarding radical scenarios. He claims that, a few days before the rally, a European Commission representative was asked about the announced event and responded by expressing support for the protests.
"We stated publicly at the time that this was an extremely irresponsible statement: when the overthrow of the government is announced in advance, such a political signal is viewed by radicals as encouragement," Papuashvili wrote.
On October 4, participants in a rally held in central Tbilisi—coinciding with municipal elections—headed toward the presidential residence. Protesters toppled the perimeter fence and attempted to enter the grounds of the Orbeliani Palace. Following the intervention of special forces, the rally was dispersed, and a number of its organizers subsequently received prison sentences.
Papuashvili believes the storming was also linked to the actions of former Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili. According to his account, she had spent months positioning herself as an alternative center of legitimacy, while foreign politicians and diplomats held meetings with her that were publicly showcased.
"We warned back then: playing games with state symbols and creating the illusion of a non-existent dual power structure is by no means harmless political theater," the Speaker declared.
He also linked these meetings to the protesters' subsequent choice of the presidential palace as their target. Papuashvili specifically highlighted the actions of Georgian law enforcement during the storming: "The country—doomed from the outside to bloodshed—was saved from a return to the 1990s solely by the precise and coordinated actions of our law enforcement agencies."
The Speaker asserts that after the protest failed, Zurabishvili’s meetings with foreign diplomats ceased. At the same time, according to him, Brussels never condemned the attack on the presidential residence.
A year later, Papuashvili addressed European authorities with three demands. He called on them to "condemn the violent attack on the presidential residence on October 4, 2025," to stop providing political and financial support to radical groups, and to revoke resolutions that, in his view, infringe upon Georgia's sovereignty.
Participants in the protest rejected the narrative that there had been an attempt to seize power by force. In particular, Paata Burchuladze—one of the rally's organizers and leader of the "Rustaveli Avenue" movement—stated in court that the event was originally conceived as a peaceful transfer of power, and he described the events at the presidential residence as a provocation. "A peaceful overthrow took place on October 4. It was highly successful—taking place at the National Assembly held in Freedom Square and on Rustaveli Avenue," Burchuladze said.
According to him, the participants intended to hold a peaceful rally outside the palace and then demand the keys to the presidential residence. He claimed that after the protesters approached the palace, the barrier was found to be damaged; he himself entered the courtyard and urged police officers not to use force against the people. "As for what happened at the Atoneli residence, please ask the so-called..." "...government," stated Burchuladze. He also maintained that neither his speech nor the actions of the protesters involved any calls for violence.
The October 4th rally began with a speech by Paata Burchuladze. From the stage, he read out a declaration calling for an end to the incumbent government's mandate and the initiation of a transitional period; he also demanded the arrest of Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, Georgian Dream founder Bidzina Ivanishvili, and other members of the country's leadership.
Following this, some of the participants headed toward the Orbeliani Presidential Palace. Protesters toppled the barrier and attempted to enter the residence grounds. Security forces dispersed the rally and subsequently detained the organizers and participants. Investigations led to convictions and prison sentences for those involved; some of the accused pleaded guilty.
