“The decision to halt European integration is deadly. However, I want to emphasize that the country will survive because we will save it—we will not allow this to happen. But what Georgian Dream did today was indeed political suicide.

Why did I come here? I came because we must send a clear and firm NO to Russia once again. We cannot let this country slip away. Our ancestors built this nation, so much blood has been shed, and we cannot allow its destruction. We cannot let this country be killed by the hands of its own people. Because the riot police, the officers standing behind me—they are also Georgians. Yet they have chosen to destroy our state.”

– Call an ambulance, an ambulance! — a voice in the background.

– Elene Khoshtaria is unwell. I’m asking the cameraman to film this from a bit farther away. Elene is over there, feeling unwell — let’s capture it from some distance… It looks like it was pepper spray, of course mixed in with the water being sprayed from the water cannon. She needs medical assistance right now, and the ambulance will come… Have you called the ambulance? The emergency vehicle will arrive and help not only Elene, but also other participants of the rally. — voice of Keta Tsitskishvili.

“We were covering the events when the water cannon suddenly turned toward us and sprayed me directly in the face… I’ve been in the ambulance for twenty minutes now, and I’m only just able to open my eyes.

I’ve covered many protests before, and I’ve experienced pepper spray, but what they’re using now is unimaginable. I had a spasmodic attack—I couldn’t breathe. I’m telling you, I’ve been sitting in this ambulance for twenty minutes… I have burns, everything that got hit by this water is burning. My eyes burn, my entire face burns. I couldn’t open my eyes. They flushed them with physiological solution several times, but for twenty minutes, I still couldn’t see… Even now, everything burns and hurts.

During previous crackdowns, there was burning and breathing difficulties, but nothing like this at any protest before. I have no idea what’s mixed into this water, but it’s unbearable—you simply cannot breathe… I don’t know what it is, but the Ministry of Internal Affairs must answer for it.”