Albania's 'Flamingo Rebellion' targets PM Rama amid environmental protests

What began as an environmental movement against construction projects by Jared Kushner's company on Albania's coast has transformed into a broad protest against the political system. For nearly a month, thousands have taken to the streets daily, calling for Prime Minister Edi Rama's resignation.

Environmental activist Besjana Guri prepares around a hundred pink styrofoam flamingos, attached to broomsticks, to be used as protest instruments. These flamingos have become the symbol of a movement that has gripped Albania for weeks. The initial spark was an incident at the Narta Lagoon, a pristine flamingo breeding ground, where a luxury resort project worth over four billion euros by Donald Trump's son-in-law's investment firm, Affinity Partners, is planned.

Guri was at the forefront in mid-May when environmentalists and locals resisted the beach's fencing and the arrival of excavators. The protest gained significant momentum after private security forces were filmed roughly handling a local resident in front of indifferent police officers. This footage went viral, igniting widespread anger.

Since then, thousands have gathered nightly in front of the government building in Tirana. The protests, now in their twenty-sixth consecutive day, have shifted focus from Kushner and Trump to demands for Rama's ouster, with national flags and "Rama ik" (Rama go) signs dominating the crowds. Nationalists, liberals, Marxists, environmentalists, the elderly, and a notably large number of young people are participating, united by a feeling of being let down by the government.

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The protests show how backward Prime Minister Rama is.