Tens of thousands of people demonstrated in the Albanian capital Tirana, in the largest protest in the country since the start of the anti-Hirak movement to build a luxury tourist resort linked to the family of US President Donald Trump.
Albanian media described the crowds that filled the streets of the capital as the largest in decades, noting that the demonstration came on the 35th day of protests against a luxury resort project linked to Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner, which is scheduled to be built on the coast of a nature reserve that is home to migratory flamingos.
The movement, which began as an objection to the threat to the environment, quickly turned into a wave of political anger demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama, amid accusations that the government was speeding up the protected areas law to serve the project, and rising public discontent with corruption and the dismantling of environmental controls.
Protesters: Albania is not for sale
Protesters held up banners saying "Albania is not for sale", carried huge flamingo figures and a mocking concrete cake from Rama's birthday, as the capital witnessed violent clashes with police who used gas and water cannons, injuring 15 police officers and arresting 25 protesters.
The Albanian Helsinki Commission criticized the "excessive use of force" while demonstrators continued their protests demanding the release of 19 detainees, according to the media, which confirmed that the authorities now fear a security lapse after demonstrators tried to storm the parliament and police stations.
The $4.6 billion project includes a luxury hotel in the Zvernić region and the transformation of the uninhabited island of Sazan into a tourist destination, raising widespread environmental concerns that the destruction of a lake that is a major stop for migratory birds could be destroyed.
Kushner and Ivanka. No comment
Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump have remained silent on the outbreak of the "Flamengo Revolution" protests in Albania, despite mounting public anger against their luxury tourism project.
Their investment company's rhetoric reflects a clear vision that sees the project as a huge economic transformation worth 1.4 billion euros, and that it will put Albania on the map of luxury tourism and create thousands of jobs, while promoting "eco-friendly" designs despite the rejection of environmental organizations that warn of the destruction of the Viosa-Narta reserve.
Kushner and Ivanka have avoided engaging in political debate inside Albania, leaving the task of defense to the Albanian government, while analysts believe that this silence is related to the sensitivity of the timing, as Trump's opponents may use any statement defending a project facing accusations of corruption and environmental sabotage in a European country to embarrass him politically in Washington.
The government adheres to the project
The government of Edi Rama described the situation as "irreversible", with the prime minister stressing that no protests would stop this investment, considering that the project would put Albania on the map of luxury tourism, and accusing the Hirak of being "directed and exploited regionally".
On the other hand, EU officials announced that they are closely following developments to ensure that Albania adheres to strict environmental standards, as a prerequisite for the continuation of its accession negotiations.
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