On September 18, 2012, just days before the parliamentary elections scheduled for October 1, the Ministry of Internal Affairs announced that three employees of Gldani Prison had been arrested for the inhuman treatment of inmates. The ministry released prison footage showing two guards beating a prisoner in his cell.

The ministry stated that the guards had received an offer from inmate Tamaz Tamazashvili, the father-in-law of Irakli Garibashvili, the Georgian Dream candidate in Dedoplistskaro, to film acts of abuse and sell the videos for money. It also said that during a search of the office of Levan Furtzkhanidze, head of the Gldani prison’s security department, investigators found video recordings of the abuse and 17,000 USD in cash. The ministry’s statement did not make clear which parts of the footage it considered real and which might have been staged.

Shortly afterward, the TV company Maestro released a six-minute video showing similar abuse. Later that night, Maestro and Channel 9 broadcast even more disturbing footage depicting sexual violence against inmates, including guards raping prisoners with a stick and a broom.

The videos caused a wave of public outrage, as they confirmed long-standing allegations of systematic torture in Georgian prisons. Citizens gathered outside the Philharmonic Hall after hearing that President Saakashvili had gone there to attend a concert. Protesters demanded the resignation of Minister of Corrections Khatuna Kalmakhelidze and Minister of Internal Affairs Bacho Akhalaia, blocking Melikishvili Avenue. Opposition politicians joined the demonstration. The protest dispersed peacefully after 3 a.m. but continued in the following days, growing into a large-scale movement. The student group “Laboratory 1918,” known for its campaign for university autonomy, joined as well.

The next day, Kalmakhelidze resigned and was replaced by Public Defender Giorgi Tughushi. Ten employees of the penitentiary system were arrested. President Saakashvili acknowledged a “systemic failure” and tasked Prime Minister Vano Merabishvili with carrying out a “fundamental reform” of the penitentiary system.

Protests did not stop. On September 19, rallies were held near the Philharmonic Hall, Tbilisi State University, the Public Broadcaster, Gldani Prison No. 8, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs building. Tens of thousands of people demanded Akhalaia’s resignation and criminal prosecution, as well as accountability for Kalmakhelidze.

From the Philharmonic, protesters marched toward the government chancellery carrying brooms, chanting “Come out!” and calling on citizens to join them. Passing cars honked in support. “From today, this object, the broom, is called Mikheil Saakashvili,” one protester said as they threw a broom into the chancellery’s lobby, shouting “The broom has come, Misha! We came with brooms!” They then burned brooms symbolically.

From the steps of Tbilisi State University, students protested the torture cases with slogans such as “The fish rots from the head!” “Gldani or Guantanamo?” “Down with the broom system!” and “Don’t torture!” Hundreds of students then marched to the Public Broadcaster, demanding objective coverage of the prison abuse scandal and the protests.

Tensions escalated outside Gldani Prison No. 8, where relatives of inmates banged on the gates, demanding to see their family members, fearing for their safety. Clergymen also joined the protest. In the evening, a “horn protest” began—cars drove circles around the prison, honking in solidarity with the prisoners after learning that inmates inside were unaware of what was happening outside.

Protests spread to other regions, including Batumi, Kutaisi, Ozurgeti, Lagodekhi, and more.

On September 20, protesters again gathered at Gldani Prison and Tbilisi State University before marching toward the Chief Prosecutor’s Office, blocking traffic between the Philharmonic and Rustaveli Metro Station. They later moved to Ortachala Prison No. 1, where inmates waved shirts and rags from the barred windows in response to chants like “Down with Akhalaia!” and “Solidarity with the prisoners!” Demonstrators burned brooms there as well and continued on to the president’s residence in Avlabari.

That same day, Interior Minister Bacho Akhalaia resigned. However, protests continued, with demonstrators demanding punishment for all those who had participated in or ordered the torture and abuse of prisoners.

By September 22, public figures such as writer Irakli Kakabadze and activist Levan Chitidze had joined the movement. Citizens gathered at the Public Broadcaster again, insisting on unbiased reporting. Activist Rati Amaghlobeli announced that an agreement had been reached for writers and public figures to appear on journalist Eka Kvesitadze’s program the following day.

Some protesters wore Georgian Dream T-shirts, leading to speculation that the student movement was being co-opted for political purposes. “We spent the whole day hiding in the lecture halls,” recalled student Salome Danelia, a member of Laboratory 1918, in her “Diary of Freedom” published by Radio Liberty. “The Patriarch’s call for peace turned mass protest into mass prayer.”

On September 24, students gathered again at the university with signs reading “Don’t Torture,” “End Tyranny,” “The System Stinks,” “Demand Justice,” and “The System Must Fall.” They marched to the Ministry of Defense, urging soldiers to stand with the people, then to the Ministry of Justice, demanding the resignation of Minister Zurab Adeishvili and chanting “Adeishvili to prison!” The march continued to the Philharmonic, where other protesters had gathered. Some students moved onto the street near the Amirani Cinema, and police used force to remove them.

That same day, musicians joined the protests, and a song titled “The System Must Fall” spread widely on social media.

By September 27, 16 officials had been arrested in connection with the prison abuse scandal, including deputy heads of the penitentiary department and two prison directors.

On September 28, the group “Vake Park” organized a concert near Gldani Prison. During the event, a motorcade of Georgian Dream youth activists arrived, driving around the prison and honking to show solidarity.

“The young people are circling the prison, encouraging the inmates to hold on for two more days, telling them that legality will be restored soon,” reported InterpressNews.

In the October 1, 2012 parliamentary elections, the Georgian Dream coalition won, ending the rule of the United National Movement.