Published On 7/3/2026
The Albanian capital, Tirana, turned into an arena of open confrontation between security forces and thousands of demonstrators outside the Parliament building, following the escalation of the protests known as the “Flamingo Revolution” in the country.
Hundreds of demonstrators gathered yesterday evening, Thursday, outside the Albanian Parliament in Tirana, demanding the resignation of Socialist Prime Minister Edi Rama, and chanted: “Rama must go to prison.”
In the midst of the clashes, the police used tear gas, pepper spray, and a water cannon to disperse the demonstrators who threw stones, eggs, and plastic bottles at them.
The tension in the square was reflected in the numbers issued. While the German news agency reported that 12 police officers were injured and 18 demonstrators were detained, figures reported by the French Press Agency revealed that 15 police officers were injured, noting that they were transferred to receive treatment in the hospital, and added that 25 demonstrators were arrested.
Interior Minister Besvoort Lammalari condemned “acts of sabotage and criminal violence” against the police, saying: “Police officers are public servants, citizens of the republic, and family members like anyone else. They serve law and order and the safety of every citizen without discrimination. Any attack on them is an attack on the state.”
From environment to politics
Since late May, protesters have gathered every evening to object to the construction of a luxury hotel supported by Ivanka Trump, daughter of US President Donald Trump, and her husband, Jared Kushner, which is planned to be built within a nature reserve on the country’s coast.
Although the protests began with an environmental dimension related to the project, they quickly turned into a general political issue expressing opposition against the Albanian government.
Thousands of demonstrators have taken to the streets in recent weeks, blowing whistles and carrying cartoon figures of flamingos, a protected migratory bird species whose habitat could be threatened by the proposed resort on the Adriatic coast.
The government says the development in Narta Lagoon will be a transformation for the former communist country as it seeks to enter the high-end tourism market and pushes for European Union membership.
But the project, which stretches across a deserted island and an adjacent stretch of seashore, has faced opposition from environmentalists and critics of Rama’s government.
The planned resort was announced to be built in the Zfrents Nature Reserve in southwestern Albania in 2024, but a wave of protests broke out after barbed wire and bulldozers appeared on its shores in late May.
