On the morning of July 27, the cruise liner Astoria Grande arrived in the Georgian resort town of Batumi. The ship was carrying more than 800 people, most of whom were tourists from Russia.
Protesters held signs with messages like “Russian warship, go fuck yourself,” “Abkhazia is Georgia,” “Russia is an occupier,” and “Go back to your fucking country.” Additionally, they carried photos of Abkhazia and the 2008 Russo-Georgian War, and played the Georgian national anthem, according to the outlet Batumelebi.
What can these tourists realistically do, though? It's not like Russians haven't been protesting against the war and I'm pretty sure most people living in a dictatorship don't have much of an option anyway
Although that's true, in that case I guess the issue is that exactly these tourists appear to be pro-war. For example, one Russian tourist said to a Georgian protester, "We are the Soviet Union. We are a single country".
I would bet any of the ones taking a cruise aren't using much (if any) of their resources to protest the war. Fuck them. If the bourgeoisie wants to be welcomed somewhere, they shouldn't let their nation become an enemy.
yeah i don't understand how anyone can treat ANY Russian with "hospitality" right now.. if they think they have the right to just kill anyone they want, i don't think they should be treated with civility anywhere..
To be fair, there are also Russians who oppose the war and openly speak out. Many also leave the country to escape the draft office and/or economic despair. We shouldn't pidgeonhole an entire nation.
I wouldn't be surprized if a lot of participants of this protest are also Russians, considering Georgia is #1 destination for Russian political emmigration.
unfortunately that's how nations work.. we sort of are forced to treat one another that way until things get fixed.. you see? otherwise what's a nation..
i think a lot of Russians are about to learn that being Russian isn't just a part of their online profile