On September 29, 2023, residents of the village of Chalesi in Tsalenjikha Municipality held a protest demanding the construction of a road and a water supply system. They attempted to block the Jvari–Mestia highway, but the police prevented it. During the attempt, officers removed two protesters from the area without detaining them.

Residents of the Etserferdi community said they had been requesting road repairs and the construction of a water system from the local municipality for years, but their appeals had been ignored, both when the mayor was from the ruling Georgian Dream party and later when the opposition gained control of the local government.

The village of Chalesi borders the occupied Abkhazian villages of Muzhava and Fakhulani. Protesters said the government should pay special attention to communities living along the occupation line and that they should not have to resort to such drastic measures to be heard.

Tsalenjikha Mayor Gia Kharchilava stated that road construction in Chalesi would begin in 2024. As for the water supply system, he could not specify when that project would start. The protest ended after the meeting with the mayor.