According to reports, Russian tourists left the Astoria Grande cruise liner on several minibuses amid shouts and protests. Law enforcers are mobilized on the spot. The participants in the rally chanted “slaves”.
The Astoria Grande cruise liner from Sochi was met with a protest at the Batumi port. Citizens and representatives of opposition parties are holding a demonstration nearby.
Citizens started gathering late at night. Many police officers are mobilized and iron fences have been installed on the spot.
This is the second time in recent days that a cruise ship from Russia arrived in Batumi. Before that, on July 27, another ship carrying Russian tourists entered the Batumi port, one of whose passengers claimed to have visited Abkhazia, therefore violating the Georgian law on occupation.
After the locals’ protest, the ship that arrived on July 27 left the Batumi port earlier than planned. The chairman of the ruling party, Irakli Kobakhidze, assessed the citizen’s protest as “unfortunate”, while President Salome Zurabishvili expressed her support for the participants of the rally.
