Ana Tsitlidze, responding to a judge’s question about what she supported on October 4: When all state institutions have been captured and the government is illegitimate, people have the right to take to the streets and occupy any administrative building!

“When all state institutions have been seized, when the government is illegitimate, and when Georgian citizens are deprived of elections, they have the right to take to the streets and defend their constitutional rights, including by occupying any administrative building. That is my answer, not the party’s,” United National Movement representative Ana Tsitlidze responded to a judge’s question at the Constitutional Court about what she supported on October 4.

She said that this was her position both on October 4 and remains her position today, as she believes the country has an illegitimate government.

“I do not consider this government legitimate. Accordingly, when you ask me what I supported on October 4, Mr. Chairman, I supported the principle that when a government is illegitimate - and I am not the only one who has said this; it is also stated in a US declaration, and Jefferson said so back in his day - when all state institutions have been seized, as I see it, when the government is illegitimate and Georgian citizens are deprived of elections, they have the right to take to the streets and defend their constitutional rights, including by occupying any administrative building. This is my personal answer, not the party’s. It is my specific position because I was the person who supported this on October 4, and I still hold exactly the same view today, because this country has an illegitimate government.

Let us not portray administrative buildings as though they were private property. When the government and Georgian Dream have occupied state institutions, we can liberate them. Georgian citizens have that right,” Tsitlidze said.