Opposition politician Dimitri Tskitishvili said he does not believe the planned May 26 protest rally will be a turning point after which “everything will be different,” adding that he does not represent any political party and therefore has “the privilege of not having a plan” and will simply participate in the demonstration.

Speaking on the “Free Studio” program on PalitraNews, Tskitishvili said some citizens may refrain from attending the protest due to fear.

“The factor of fear is always present, especially when a protest process is prolonged and people face existential problems. People may not fear two days or two weeks in prison as much as they fear losing their jobs and being left without income because of it. Many public servants attended the protests and expressed their dissatisfaction. That protest has not disappeared; they simply cannot come out as boldly anymore. It is completely understandable because they may have no other way to survive, they cannot lose their jobs, and they may have obligations they cannot otherwise handle. That is the reality.

The May 26 rally is not a turning point. May 26 is the birthday of the Democratic Republic of Georgia. It is a major common celebration during which political parties decided to hold a rally. I do not think this is a turning point after which everything will change.

In this case, I am an independent citizen. For me, May 26 is a very important day, which I will mark together with my friends. I do not represent any political party and I have the privilege of not needing to have a plan - I will simply be a participant on May 26.

The Democratic Republic of Georgia is more important today than any political force, ruler, or individual prosperity. Our modern state is built on that historical legacy, while they are turning it into someone’s feudal world. For me, May 26 represents the Democratic Republic of Georgia that we need - our goal and task. That is why we want the European Union, why we want to exist in a civilized, modern world where everyone’s rights are protected and everyone can achieve a certain level of well-being. That is what May 26 means to me. For some, it is simply waving flags. Georgian Dream manipulates this. They celebrate it, but none of the principles and ideas of that May 26 remain alive,” Tskitishvili stated.

Tskitishvili also commented on recent statements by leaders of Georgian Dream regarding alleged excessive use of force during the dispersal of protests in European countries, saying that government representatives are distancing themselves from the European Union.

According to Tskitishvili, Georgian Dream wants to convince its voters that they have built a country “better than Denmark.”

“We should be prepared for the fact that after the statements made the other day, they are already paving the way for the idea that Georgia should reject the European Union. For now, it comes with conditions - ‘we do not want this kind of Europe,’ ‘we do not want this kind of path,’ ‘we do not want a Europe like Denmark.’ Today they added a clip showing a demonstrator being detained in Berlin; today they had a card claiming that police used excessive force in Manchester. This means they are distancing themselves from Europe and preparing their voters.

I think they are deeply insulting their own supporters when they believe they can convince them with simple lies that we do not want a European Union like Denmark because we supposedly live much better under Georgian Dream, or that Danish police are so brutal that compared to them, Khareba is an angel. They want to convince their voters that they have built a Georgia better than Denmark,” Dimitri Tskitishvili said.