Russian Cruise Passengers Jeered at and Heckled in Georgia Port
Locals jeered at Russian passengers on a cruise ship in Batumi, Georgia on two separate occasions.
The ship departed earlier than scheduled on July 27 and then returned on July 31.
Georgia has long had simmering tensions with Russia over disputed territory and opposition to the Ukraine war.
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A cruise ship with Russian passengers docked in Batumi, Georgia, was met with jeers from the locals protesting over the Ukraine war and over disputed territories currently occupied by Russia.
The cruise ship Astoria Grande was met with a large protesting crowd when it docked in the Georgian port of Batumi on July 27 and July 31, according to various media reports, including local outlet Georgia Today.
On July 27, the ship was forced to leave Batumi earlier than intended after the protests broke out, Radio Free Europe, or RFE, and Meduza reported. The ship's original departure schedule is not immediately clear.
Videos shared by Twitter users on Monday captured chaotic scenes of protestors in Georgia heckling the cruise ship after it arrived for the second time in five days.
Twitter user Helen Khoshtaria, who identifies as a human rights activist, posted a video on Monday which has since received over 39,000 views: "The protest in Batumi continues for about 20th hour now, with more people joining. It will only stop when the Russian cruise ship leaves, hopefully earlier than scheduled."
Local media outlet Formula News tweeted a video of protestors on Monday: "Protesters condemn the arrival of Russian cruise ship carrying pop stars and journalists supporting the Russian invasion of Ukraine in the Georgian port city of Batumi."
—Formula NEWS | English (@FormulaGe) July 31, 2023
Twitter user @KShoshiashvili shared pictures of protestors' signs on Monday, with one reading: "We choose Europe, not Russia."
The cruise's Turkish operator, Miray Cruises, told Russian media outlet RBC that it has no further stops planned for Batumi. Insider could not independently verify the ship's docking schedule.
In response to last Thursday's protests, Georgia's president Salome Zourabichvili, tweeted: "Proud of our people protesting peacefully the latest russian provocation — a Russian cruise liner visiting the Georgian port of Batumi while Putin blocks grain shipments and hinders free navigation in the Black Sea."
She was seemingly referring to Russia axing the UN-brokered Black Sea grain deal that expired on July 17. The deal previously allowed food to be shipped out of Ukrainian ports despite a Russian blockade.
A March survey by the International Republican Institute shows that Georgians remain sharply opposed to Russian foreign policy. Only 4% of Georgians surveyed believe that Russians are welcome in their country after the invasion of Ukraine, and 76% believe that Russian aggression against Georgia is still ongoing.
The Republic of Georgia exited the Soviet Union in 1991 and has been involved in a frozen conflict with pro-Russia forces over the disputed territories of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, culminating in Russian occupation of a significant part of Georgian territory in 2008, per the BBC.
Georgia's internal affairs ministry told Insider on Tuesday that 23 persons were arrested in connection with the protests. Miray Cruises did not respond to a request for comment from Insider, sent outside regular business hours.
August 1, 4.51 p.m.: The story has been updated to include a comment from Georgia's internal affairs ministry.
Source: Business Insider
