WATCH: Georgians sing Ukrainian national anthem to shoo away Russian cruise liner out of Batumi port

Protests erupted in the Georgian cities of Tbilisi and Batumi after the cruise liner Astoria Grande docked in Georgia, carrying over 800 tourists, most of whom were Russian citizens. The ship had arrived in Georgia from Sochi on July 26, and the following evening, Batumi residents gathered near the vessel in strong dissent. They held placards with messages such as “Abkhazia is Georgia,” “Russia is an occupant,” “Leave our country,” “Russia deprives us of our homeland, life, and future,” and “Russian warship, go f**k yourself.” Some Georgian activists even played the Ukrainian national anthem. Watch:

If Russians think they are not going to face Ukraine and our support for Ukrainians in every inch of Georgia, they are wrong and were proven wrong by people of Batumi today. Cruise ship has left earlier than scheduled with the anthems of Georgia and Ukraine as a gift from 🇬🇪. pic.twitter.com/2aoEpQLIU5

— Katie Shoshiashvili (@KShoshiashvili) July 27, 2023

The Georgian population’s outrage was not only sparked by the liner’s arrival but also by troubling statements made by some Russian tourists claiming that “Russia liberated Abkhazia from Georgians.” Furthermore, some tourists openly admitted to visiting the region of Abkhazia, which has been under Russian occupation since 2008, an act that violates Georgian law, reported The New Voice of Ukraine. During the protest, a Russian flag was briefly displayed in one of the ship’s cabins but was swiftly removed. Some Russian tourists responded with offensive gestures and attempted to obstruct the protesters. With inputs from agencies