{"id":20210,"date":"2026-07-03T13:14:05","date_gmt":"2026-07-03T11:14:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ultimabozza.it\/from-the-controversial-resort-to-police-batons-why-albania-has-been-protesting-for-over-a-month\/"},"modified":"2026-07-03T14:40:59","modified_gmt":"2026-07-03T12:40:59","slug":"from-the-controversial-resort-to-police-batons-why-albania-has-been-protesting-for-over-a-month","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ultimabozza.it\/en\/from-the-controversial-resort-to-police-batons-why-albania-has-been-protesting-for-over-a-month\/","title":{"rendered":"From the controversial resort to police batons: why Albania has been protesting for over a month"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In Albania, the protest against a planned luxury resort on the Zvernec coast\u2014adjacent to the Vjosa-Narta <\/strong>protected landscape , a wetland crucial <\/strong>for migratory bird routes and the survival of protected marine species\u2014has entered its most contentious phase. What for weeks was dubbedthe \u201cFlamingo Revolution<\/a>\u201d\u2014named after the birds that inhabit the precious and fragile wetland threatened by the project\u2014is now a movement that goes beyond environmental concerns. <\/p>\n\n

The project, linked to Jared Kushner<\/strong>, son-in-law of U.S. President Donald Trump, has become a point of contention between the government and protesters. According to activists, the construction project would endanger an ecosystem on the southern coast. The government, on the other hand, presents it as a strategic investment in high-end tourism. <\/p>\n\n

Clashes in front of Parliament<\/h3>\n\n

Tensions erupted on Thursday, July 2, in front of the Parliament building in Tirana, where clashes between police and protesters have taken place in recent days. Authorities reported that officers were injured and that arrests were made, while videos of police charges and the use of batons are circulating on social media. <\/p>\n\n

During the protests, objects were thrown at the police, including rocks, eggs, and metal barriers. In response, the police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse the crowd and reinforced security measures around Parliament with metal fences. <\/p>\n\n

The protest is spreading to the political arena<\/h3>\n\n

What began as an environmental protest has gradually evolved into a movement against the entire political establishment. Protesters are now calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama<\/strong> and opposition leader Sali Berisha<\/strong>, the formation of a technocratic government, electoral reforms, and regulations on investments in protected areas. <\/p>\n\n

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Protesta e bukur e qytetaris\u00eb, atdhedashuris\u00eb, past\u00ebrtis\u00eb, ia ka l\u00ebn\u00eb vendin tanim\u00eb filmit t\u00eb vjet\u00ebr t\u00eb konfliktit, sherrit, dhun\u00ebs, ku thonjt\u00eb e politik\u00ebs s\u00eb d\u00ebshtimit dhe zem\u00ebrimit po dalin n\u00eb pah me pisll\u00ebkun e tyre karakteristik\ud83e\udd21\ud83e\udd21\ud83e\udd21<\/p>— Edi Rama (@ediramaal) July 2, 2026<\/a><\/blockquote>