As a reaction to the declared sanctions from the Russian President Vladimir Putin to ban all flights from Russia to Georgia, the Georgian citizens have started their own campaign of solidarity. Amongst the protesters on the streets, transparents reading “20%” could be observed, alluding to the Russian occupation of the regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, which comprise 20% of the Georgian territory. The Georgian communities in Spain and Belgium had also started their own rallies as a sign of solidarity towards their fellow countrymen.

Many of the real estate and hotel companies in Georgia had joined the movement in opposing the Russian sanctions. The Fifth Season Hotel suggested imposing a 20% tax on Russian citizens who do not condemn Russia’s occupation of the two Georgian regions. “Every Russian citizen who does not condemn Putin's Russian imperialist regime will be subject to an added tax of 20% for our country's occupation!” stood on the Fifth Season Hotel official Facebook page. Under the slogans “Russia is an Occupier” and “No to Russia” real estate agency REMAX Capital said the company will not provide their service to Russian citizens looking to buy real estate in Georgia. “We call on our colleagues to join our initiative! Let the sale of property be closed to Russian citizens!” the company stated. Horizons Group, which is building a premium class, multifunctional hotel-residence complex in Georgia’s Black Sea town of Batumi also joined the protest wave. Not any citizen of any country will be able to buy an apartment in the complex of the Horizons Batumi if they do not confirm the point set out in our contract (whereas the main point of the contract is that the buyer should recognize the territorial integrity of Georgia and consider Abkhazia and Tskhinvali as Georgian regions),” the company announced.

The airline companies also joined the movement. Local airline company Georgian Airways, which carries out flights from Georgia to Russia, will offer its passengers Tbilisi-Yerevan-Moscow transit flights from July 8 onward. “In order to create maximum comfort for passengers, the transfer time will be about one hour”, the company announced. Mamuka Khazaradze, the founder of the TBC Bank, expressed his readiness to finance ten charter flights of the Georgian Airways Company for Ukrainian travelers from Kiev to the Georgian capital in order to foster the Georgian tourism industry.

Certain actors in the sphere of culture had also begun showing their symbolic resistance to the measures from Russia. The Georgian cinemas Cavea and Amirani have stopped screening movies on the Russian-language. During their game, the football players from the teams Torpedo Kutaisi and Locomotive Tbilisi wore T-shirts with the message “We are from Georgia and 20% of our country is occupied by Russia.”

On the internet, a campaign went viral which promotes tourism in Georgia and condemns Russian policies towards the country. “Georgia is small but one of the most beautiful countries in the world. Many of you do not know about it, because the Soviet regime did their best to hide to hide it from the rest of the world and Putin, of course, still regrets the destruction of one of the bloodiest regimes in the history of mankind.  Georgians invite travellers from all over the world to come to their country and experience the best wine, the tastiest food and unforgettable hospitality provided by some of the most warm hearted people in the world,” the message read. Lithuania was one of the first countries that had joined this campaign by calling on more of their citizens to visit Georgia.

Some citizens of Russia also expressed their disapproval towards the imposed sanctions from their country.  Over 12,000 Russian citizens have signed an online petition calling on Putin to cancel his recent ban on flights between Russia and Georgia. “Allow flights between Georgia and Russia, as Russian citizens in Georgia are safe. As for the protest rallies – this is the right of the Georgian citizens”, the text of the petition read.