Opposition UNM slams May 9 incident as attack on protest unity

The opposition United National Movement (UNM) has condemned the incident that occurred during the May 9 Europe Day march, calling it a direct attack on the unity of Georgia’s protest movement against the “Russian regime of Georgian Dream,” rather than an assault merely on one party.

“This incident provided fuel for the propaganda of the Russian oligarch. Europe is built on mutual respect for differing opinions—this is the core Western value we all strive toward,” the party said in an official statement.

UNM criticized those who assaulted the party’s supporter, Davit Mangoshvili, during the march, noting that while they claim to stand for unity and equality, their actions contradict those very ideals.

“There can be no solidarity, unity, or equality in a space where the right to protest and freedom of expression is suppressed,” the statement continued. “No one has the right to dictate how a citizen expresses just protest—especially when that protest concerns the political imprisonment of Georgia’s third president, a fact recognized by the civilized world.”

The party drew a sharp parallel between the attackers and Soviet-era tactics, claiming those responsible are aligning themselves with figures like Vladimir Putin and Bidzina Ivanishvili by forcibly removing a protest banner in support of the man who first raised the EU flag in Georgia, referring to ex-president Mikheil Saakashvili.

UNM reiterated its long-standing opposition to Ivanishvili’s regime since October 2, 2012, and emphasized that it has consistently put national unity above party interests.

“Violence against those with differing opinions is the signature method of Putin and his fifth column in Georgia. It’s a tactic used to fracture and discredit the entire patriotic movement. Only open or covert servants of this regime would commit such acts,” the party stated.

The statement called on all political, civil society, and informal groups opposing the current regime to condemn the violence and ensure that 'such provocations' have no place in future nationwide protests.

“Let us remember: freedom of speech and expression is the most fundamental European value—one that even toppled the Bolshevik regime,” the party concluded.

The UNM statement followed an incident during the May 9 Europe Day march, which emerged after one of the protesters, Davit Mangoshvili, raised a banner in support of the impisoned third President of Georgia, Mikheil Saakashvili.