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"Completely different from the DP protests/ BBC echoes the civic revolt in Albania: Angry people demand the "arrest" of Rama and Berisha
2026-06-04 17:59:31 / POLITIKË
Protests in the center of Albania's capital, Tirana, are not exactly unusual. The opposition Democratic Party (DP) organizes them so frequently that they could almost be classified as an unusual tourist attraction, writes the British media BBC .
But this week's nightly rallies in front of Prime Minister Edi Rama's office have been different - targeting US President Donald Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, as well as the Socialist Party government.
The focus of the anger is a proposed tourist project on Albania's Adriatic coast.
Kushner's Affinity Partners would be one of the investors – and Rama has welcomed his interest with open arms.
The same cannot be said for the protesters, who on the outside appear to have nothing to do with the main opposition. To make this clear, some participants held banners calling for the imprisonment of the DP leader, Sali Berisha – who is facing separate corruption charges – as well as Rama.
The protesters are using a pink flamingo as their emblem. This mirrors the deployment of a yellow flamingo in a long-running civic protest movement in Serbia's capital, Belgrade. But in the case of Albania, the bird reflects the very specific concerns of the protesters.
They say plans for development on the island of Sazan and a site in Zvërnec, near the coastal city of Vlora, pose a threat to flamingos – which are a protected species – as well as other species in the protected wetland area.
Kushner's business partner, Asher Abehsera, says the project is focused on "responsible stewardship" and improving the environment, as well as creating jobs and value for local communities.
Protesters are also angry about what they see as a lack of transparency regarding Affinity Partners' involvement, with negotiations between the company and the government dating back to 2024.
Some banners at the protests highlighted participants' dissatisfaction with the concession of land to foreign developers, declaring that Albania "is not for sale."
The government insists it is privately owned land acquired in a transparent manner.
But others say the process may not have been so straightforward. After all, Albania is known for suffering from the chaos of property claims stemming from a messy privatization process at the end of 45 years of general nationalization imposed by the communist regime.
However, environmental concerns appear to be the main motivation for the protesters, mostly young people.
“We want all construction to stop and heavy machinery to be removed from the protected area,” said Joni Vorpsi, an ecologist at the organization PPNEA-BirdLife Albania.
He added that the proposed development "would be a new city with around 10,000 rooms" and said it would "completely destroy that wild region".
Protesters have been holding flamingo-shaped banners to signal their concerns about the project's impact on protected species.
Rama has appeared irritated in his response to the protests.
He described the participants as “well-intentioned” but “misinformed” about the potential environmental impact.
He insisted the project would bring huge benefits to Albania, with a €4 billion (£3.5 billion) investment promising jobs and improved infrastructure.
At the same time, Rama has classified the protests as part of a “hybrid war” fueled by regional envy of Albania’s rapidly growing tourism sector, claiming that the country is “under attack from very strong competition in our part of the Mediterranean.”
This is a reference to Greece, which is being accused by some protesters of inciting the unrest. Rama himself has issued what appears to be a public rebuke of former Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras.
For Jared Kushner, this is a case of deja vu in the Balkans.
His plan to build a Trump International Hotel in Belgrade faced fierce local opposition. The arrest of a government minister for abuse of office in connection with the project ultimately prompted Kushner to step down earlier this year.
In Albania, Asher Abehsera insists that everything is in order, including measures to preserve the environment.
“Our focus remains on responsible stewardship, improving the environment, creating jobs and creating long-term value for local communities,” he said.
If protesters remain defiant, the flamingo may remain a regular feature on the streets of Tirana for some time.
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