On social media, we often encounter posts in which participants of protest rallies are referred to as “Akatsuki.” The term first appeared in connection with activists in 2024, and since then, numerous representatives of the Georgian Dream and pro-government media have used it when speaking about the protests.
Irakli Kobakhidze (1;2): “We didn’t meet with Finland’s Foreign Minister because she went to a rally of 50 Akatsuki and stood there as the 51st Akatsuki. How can one meet such a person? She said that she was not Finland’s foreign minister, but an Akatsuki;”
“This is the face of a UNM supporter. That 20-year-old Akatsuki is, in fact, a UNM supporter…”
Shalva Papuashvili: “[…] everything is being called by its real name – this Akatsuki-style movement that implies turning the country upside down. I am sure our diaspora abroad will support us in this…”
Kakha Kaladze (1;2;3): “The existing 30 Akatsuki and their shouting and screaming are of interest to no one. There are violent people in this group…”
“A few Akatsuki gather, block the road, and create huge discomfort for the capital’s residents.”
“When 30 Akatsuki showed up at the campaign headquarters – what did these people want at the campaign headquarters? Or did the headquarters go to them?”
Tenzig Sharmanashvili: “We are told that if 10 people cannot block Rustaveli Avenue, democracy will collapse on our heads. Let a sufficient number gather, and this law won’t apply to them. ‘Akatsukism’ must end.”
Protesters are also referred to as “Akatsuki” on anti-opposition Facebook pages, where posts aimed at discrediting activists are frequently published (1;2;3;4;5;6).
- When were activists first linked to the “Akatsuki”?
“Akatsuki” were mentioned at a protest rally on Rustaveli Avenue on 28 September 2024. During a speech, one of the activists, Mikheil Meskhi, said (from 1:13:30):
“Young people, elderly people, children, fathers, mothers, grandmothers, and grandfathers… every generation made the right choice. This choice was seized! This choice was stolen! That is why I am here today. Here, on my neck, I’m wearing the Akatsuki symbol – especially the young people will understand – for my nephew, actually for both of them. Today, the Akatsuki is with you, Gondor is with you, Rohan, Frodo Baggins, Harry Potter, Gryffindor, the Atreides family, everything you have read, all the ideals you grew up with… Merab Kostava, his spirit… any well-known, living, created character or person, real or fictional, all the ideals you grew up with. Every particle of freedom is in you today!”
Speaking to OC Media, activist Mikheil Meskhi explained that he mentioned the “Akatsuki,” along with other characters and well-known people, so that the gathered youth would feel that someone was speaking “in their language.” He said he wanted to show that people critical of the government represent different age groups. According to Meskhi, he mentioned Merab Kostava together with Gondor, Rohan, and the Akatsuki because Kostava is a symbol of the anti-Soviet national liberation movement.
- Who are the ‘Akatsuki’?
The term “Akatsuki” comes from the popular Japanese manga and anime series “Naruto,” created by Masashi Kishimoto. Akatsuki (暁) means “dawn” in Japanese.
According to the manga and anime, Akatsuki is an organization whose first members were young ninjas – Yahiko, Konan, and Nagato. The goal of these three war orphans was to establish peace in a war-torn region devastated by battles among the great villages (1; 2). The group’s members quickly became symbols of helping the oppressed and fighting for freedom.
However, after Yahiko’s death, the remaining members came under various internal and external influences, leading to their radicalization. The organization transformed into a criminal group whose main goal was capturing the “tailed beasts” (creatures with immense power sealed inside humans) and placing all living beings under the “Infinite Tsukuyomi” (a dream-like illusion in which a person sees a world where all their wishes come true). Because of its methods and goals during this period, Akatsuki is also referred to as a terrorist organization.
The group’s most recognizable feature is their attire: black cloaks with red clouds. Other well-known members include Itachi Uchiha, Deidara, Sasori, and others.
