Thousands of protestersin Albania returned to the streets of the capital, Tirana, thousands of protesters, yesterday, Saturday, June 20.
In one of the largest gatherings since the protests began nearly three weeks ago, the protests are focused on opposition to a planned tourist complex linked to the family of U.S. President, Donald Trump.
Since late May, protesters have been gathering every night in Tirana and other cities in Albania to express their opposition to the construction of a luxury hotel linked to Trump’s daughter, Ivanka, and her husband, Jared Kushner, which is planned to be built in a nature reserve on the Balkan country’s coast.
What the protesters are demanding
The protesters have adopted the pink flamingo as a symbol of their protests, as the project directly threatens the birds’ breeding grounds, while they also express concerns about corruption.
Opposition to this project has reached a boiling point, with protesters now calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama.
Rama insists on moving forward with the 1.5 million euro project, even though the European Commission has expressed concerns about potential environmental impacts.
Although no official figures were available, journalists from Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported that the crowd at yesterday’s rally appeared to be the largest since the protests began.
Bolstered by a large number of Albanians from the diaspora who traveled to the country for the demonstration, a sea of protesters waved Albanian and American flags, and the demonstrators also held pink flamingos on banners, while red balloons were released into the air.
Some protesters gathered at the Albanian prime minister’s office building and chanted slogans such as: “Albania is not for sale,” “Cancel the project,” “Rama, go away,” “Rama non grata.”
The protesters stated that they would remain in the streets until Rama resigns; they accuse him of a lack of transparency regarding the projects planned for the Albanian coast.
“We are not against the country’s development; we are against the arrogance and lack of transparency surrounding the projects that affect our lives,” said a protester, Alma, a student at the Faculty of Natural Sciences.
For Denisa Kasa, an environmental activist, the protests have already yielded “some results” and, above all, the moratorium called for by the European Parliament.
“A suspension of work in this case would mean halting all new buildings and construction in protected areas, while in the meantime no new permits for construction projects would be issued”, Kasa told AFP.
“We are here to express our opposition to this project, but also to the current law on protected areas, which paves the way for other projects in other areas designated as protected areas,” said biologist Cemal Jerri to AFP.
Ahead of Friday’s protest, police reported that 27 people had been charged with “leading” protesters off approved routes during a march held in the capital overnight and for “acts that undermine public order and safety”.
This followed a similar police intervention earlier this week, when 35 people were charged with allegedly blocking a highway during protests.
Rama says he will not resign
Rama, who remained steadfast throughout the protests, told a meeting of his party earlier on Saturday that he will not resign.
He claimed that Kushner’s involvement—and not concerns about the project itself—was what fueled the protests. “People weren’t roused by Narta’s fate, but by Kushner’s name and Trump’s shadow,” he said.
The wave of protests began when barbed wire and bulldozers appeared on a quiet beach in the coastal area of Svernitsa, within the Viosa-Narta protected area—about 100 kilometers southwest of the capital, Tirana.
Clashes between local protesters and private security guards at the proposed hotel construction site sparked outrage and drew large crowds to protests within a few days. The resort backed by Kushner, along with another development project on the nearby island of Sazan, are both planned near an important migratory bird breeding area — including hundreds of flamingos.
The “Flamingo Revolution” continues in Albania – New massive protests against Rama over the tourism project linked to the Trump family
“The Viosa-Narta landscape, including the Svernica area, is one of Albania’s most valuable natural ecosystems, and its significance extends far beyond the country’s borders,” said Olsi Nika, a biologist and aquatic ecologist, during the protest.
