Thousands of Albanians marched in Tirana on Saturday for the 42nd consecutive night, calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama and protesting a luxury tourism project linked to US President Donald Trump's family, as well as a concert by controversial rapper Kanye West.
Protest Details and Demands
Demonstrators waving Albanian flags chanted slogans against both Rama and West, who now styles himself as 'Ye.' The rapper's antisemitic rhetoric has led to bans in some European capitals. Rama met West before the concert and later posted video of the packed event, giving it a five-star rating.
According to AFP journalists, thousands of people protest daily, though exact numbers are difficult to assess.
Environmental Concerns Over Luxury Development
The protest centers on an estimated $4.6 billion luxury hotel development linked to the Trump family, planned for the environmentally protected area of Zvernec on the Adriatic coast. Critics say the project threatens a nearby lagoon critical for migrating birds. Developers also aim to transform the uninhabited island of Sazan, once a secret communist military base, into a tourist destination.
Opposition to the project has become a flashpoint for frustrations over perceived corruption. Protesters have called for Rama to step down over what they describe as a lack of transparency. The movement is dubbed the 'Flamingo Revolution' after the pink birds that migrate to the nature reserve, and many protesters carry plastic flamingos.
Legal and Land Ownership Questions
Critics have raised serious doubts about the legality of land transactions by investors. Several local residents claim the land is theirs based on decades-old deeds. The country's anti-corruption prosecutor's office, SPAK, has opened an investigation into how land in the protected area was acquired, how it changed owners, and why its value jumped from EUR5.5 million ($62.7 million) to EUR122 million ($139 million) within only a few months.
