In September 2013, representatives of the Russian and de facto South Ossetian border forces appeared in the village of Dvani and resumed the so-called border demarcation works. They brought poles to mark the areas on the outskirts of the village. According to local residents, the border guards moved the so-called boundary several hundred meters deeper into Georgian-controlled territory, causing dozens of hectares of land to fall within the occupied zone. Russian border guards gave residents until September 28 to vacate and dismantle houses that were now beyond the new line.

On September 28, journalists responded to the incident with a protest. Under the slogan “No to Creeping Occupation,” several dozen journalists gathered in Dvani near the so-called border, carrying Georgian flags and banners. They formed a human chain along the occupation line and sang the Georgian national anthem. The action aimed both to protest the Russian forces’ advancement of the border markers deeper into Georgian villages and to draw the attention of the Georgian government to the issue.

For the same reason, on October 2, different civic groups arrived in Dvani. The civil movement “Hands Off Georgia!” and their partners from Gori organized a rally titled “Wake Up, World.” Similar protests were held in several German cities as well. On October 24, members of the NGO coalition “Public Initiative” also traveled to Dvani. Along the occupation line, near the barbed wire fences, young activists placed two signs in Georgian and English reading: “Attention: Territory Occupied by Russia.” Participants of the rally stated that under such circumstances, Georgia should not participate in the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.