People condemn luxury development tied to Jared Kushner as environmental protest evolves into anti-corruption movement.

On Thursday, Albanian police violently cracked down on citizens protesting outside Parliament in Tirana, where they were demonstrating against Prime Minister Edi Rama and a tourism project linked to the family of U.S. President Donald Trump.

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The clashes occurred during the final parliamentary session before the summer recess, when a group of hundreds of demonstrators attempted to break through the police cordon surrounding the building that houses the legislative chamber.

Some protesters tore down a metal security fence and threw eggs, tomatoes and water bottles at officers, who responded with tear gas and water cannons to disperse the crowd.

Two police officers were taken to a hospital, one with minor injuries and another bleeding from wounds, while two protesters also received medical treatment following the unrest.

LIVE: Day 54 of mass protests in Tirana, Albania

Protesters threw eggs at MPs and ministers’ cars outside Parliament.
Police answered with water cannons, tear gas and pepper spray to clear the streets.

Several demonstrators left injured — faces burning, struggling to… pic.twitter.com/baPibe06Dh

— Anonymous TV (@YourAnonTV) July 23, 2026

The protest has now entered its 54th consecutive day and began in late May after a confrontation in the coastal area of Zvërnec, near Vlora, between local residents and private security personnel over the installation of a fence blocking access to a public beach. The land is part of a luxury real estate project linked to Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law.

Environmental organizations have warned that the tourism development could affect the Vjosa-Narta Lagoon, a protected wetland considered an essential ecosystem for flamingos and 200 other bird species.

Over the weeks, the mobilization has evolved from an environmental protest into a broader citizens’ movement against corruption, the privatization of coastal land and Prime Minister Rama, who has been in power since 2013.

The “Flamingo Revolution” has also expressed its discontent with the conservative opposition led by former minister Sali Berisha, whom protesters regard as another figure in a political system that benefits oligarchs rather than the public.

teleSUR/ JF

Source: EFE

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