GeorgiaGeorgia starts fining protesters for singing ‘Ole, Ola’The Interior Ministry has launched administrative proceedings against at least five individuals. (Updated: 5 days ago )• 2 min readShare▲Tens of thousands gathered to protest in central Tbilisi on 4 October 2025. Photo: Mariam Nikuradze/OC Media. Georgia’s Interior Ministry has launched administrative proceedings against at least five individuals for singing a song that mentions ‘offensive words’ in connection with the ruling Georgian Dream party, OC Media understands. One of those targeted is Ana Chikovani, a member of the opposition Girchi — More Freedom Party. Zurab Girchi Jarapidze, the party's chair, shared Chikovani’s notice on Facebook on Wednesday. The document, dated 30 September, claims that ‘on 23rd of September 2026, in the city of Tbilisi, citizen Ana Chikovani was singing a song in which the party “Georgian Dream — Democratic Georgia” and its supporters were mentioned with offensive words in a protest act around the Tbilisi City Council by which the public order was disturbed’. The notice claimed there was ‘relevant documentation’ as evidence, but did not provide any further details. The offence carries a fine of ₾500 ($200) to ₾3,000 ($1,200) or administrative imprisonment for up to 20 days as a penalty. While the Ministry did not specify what ‘song’ Chikovani was accused of singing, others who have received similar notices have assumed it to be ‘Ole, Ola’, a song which has become synonymous with the anti-government protest movement. Containing explicit insults directed at ruling party representatives, demonstrators have sung ‘Ole, Ola’ at anti-government protests since November 2024, sparking outrage from the ruling party and its supporters. While this is the first time that an administrative penalty has been specifically linked to the song, government supporters have previously attacked those who have sang ‘Ole, Ola’ — both literally and figuratively. In September, a concert featuring the Georgian–Swiss musician Kordz, who sampled the popular chant, was cancelled following what he called a smear campaign from pro-government media. Ruling party members, their allies, and pro-government media portrayed Kordz as being associated with ‘radicalism’, ‘extremism’, and ‘fascism’. Organisers later said the event was cancelled due to security concerns. In another case, Georgian actor and singer Vano Tarkhnishvili was physically attacked in Tbilisi in July 2025. Both he and pro-government social media accounts linked the street assault to his performance of ‘Ole, Ola’ months prior.Additional reporting by Nanuka Nanukashvili. Before becoming an editor at OC Media, Elizabeth studied German and Russian at university and worked for CNN International and the Guardian in London, England. She was a fan of the Em dash before ChatGPT was.