TIRANA, Albania — What began as a peaceful environmental movement has escalated into violent confrontation on the streets of Albania’s capital, as weeks of sustained protest against a luxury Adriatic coastal development tied to former U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner spilled over into clashes between demonstrators and police Thursday.
The ongoing daily demonstrations, branded the “Flamingo Revolution” by organizers, launched more than a month ago in opposition to the proposed high-end resort project planned for Albania’s Narta Lagoon, a critical habitat for protected migratory flamingos. What started as a movement centered on conservation concerns quickly expanded into a broader uprising against the government of Socialist Prime Minister Edi Rama, drawing thousands of participants to the streets in recent weeks.
On Thursday, several hundred demonstrators assembled outside Albania’s national parliament building in central Tirana, chanting calls for Rama’s resignation and carrying signs reading “Rama must go to jail.” The situation deteriorated rapidly when a segment of the crowd began pelting law enforcement officers with rocks, eggs, and plastic bottles. Protesters also used sections of broken metal barriers to smash the windows of a parked police vehicle. In response, police deployed tear gas, pepper spray, and water cannons to disperse the agitated crowd.
One protester, Agustela Thoma, framed the escalation as a reaction to months of unheard demands. “The protesters want their voice to be heard inside parliament, as the prime minister for so many days has not heard them and has ignored them. But enough is enough,” Thoma told reporters.
Albania’s Interior Minister Besfort Lamallari released a sharp condemnation of the unrest, labeling the clashes as “acts of vandalism and criminal violence” targeting police. “Police officers are public servants, citizens of the Republic, and family members just like everyone else. They serve the law, public order, and the safety of every citizen, without distinction. An attack against them is an attack against the state,” Lamallari said. Official government updates confirm 12 police officers suffered injuries during the confrontation, while 18 demonstrators have been taken into custody.
The proposed development, which spans an abandoned island and adjacent coastal stretch, has been framed as a transformative economic opportunity by Rama’s administration. For the post-communist Balkan nation, which has long sought accession to the European Union, the luxury resort is pitched as a key step to break into the lucrative high-end global tourism market. But the project has drawn fierce pushback from both environmental advocates, who warn it will destroy protected wetland habitats, and political opponents of Rama, who have criticized the government’s close ties to the Kushner-linked venture.