TBILISI, October 15. /TASS/. It took several years to prepare the so-called Rose Revolution that took place in Georgia in 2003, the South Caucasus nation’s ex-President Mikhail Saakashvili said.
He pointed out that the October 4 riots in the country’s capital of Tbilisi were different from the 2003 events.
An opposition rally took place in the Georgian capital on October 4, which coincided with local elections. The organizers had announced plans to overthrow the government. After they called on protesters "to take hold of the keys to the presidential palace," some demonstrators marched to the residence, located nearby. They knocked down fences but were pushed back by riot police who used water cannons and tear gas. Police detained five initiators of the rally for calling to topple the government and organizing group violence. They are facing up to nine years in prison. About 40 other people were detained for participating in the attempt to storm the presidential palace.
"Meticulous preparations for the Rose Revolution took several years. As the organizer of the Rose Revolution, I insist that it’s impossible to take a page out of that playbook. Many things will happen spontaneously, but even this spontaneity needs preparation," Saakashvili wrote on Facebook (prohibited in Russia due to its ownership by Meta, which is designated as extremist).
Saakashvili believes that one of the reasons why the October 4 attempt to overthrow the government failed is that too few youngsters - who are "the most capable of fighting" - took part in the rally. The Georgian ex-president, who is currently serving a prison term on multiple charges, had earlier called on the country’s people to participate in the October 4 protest on social media.
Saakashvili came to power in Georgia in 2003 in the wake of the Rose Revolution.