Tirana protests enter 105th day over Kushner-linked resort project
Protests in Tirana against a luxury resort linked to Jared Kushner have grown into a broader anti-government movement calling for PM Edi Rama to resign.
Protesters returned to the streets of Tirana on Saturday, marking the 105th day of demonstrations that began in late May against a luxury resort project linked to Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of U.S. President Donald Trump.
The movement has since widened beyond opposition to the development, with crowds now calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama. Marchers chanted "Albania is asking for revolution," and members of the Albanian diaspora travelled to the capital to join the march.
Among those taking part was Ergus Llanaj, who said he was demonstrating against what he described as corruption at every stage of daily life. He cited the failure to arrest Deputy Prime Minister Belinda Baluku, shortages of medicines in hospitals that force patients to buy them privately, and environmental damage across the country. He also objected to land being sold to foreign investors for one euro under strategic investment arrangements.
Signs carried by demonstrators included one reading "Our homeland is not for sale," while others featured cardboard flamingos. The gathering proceeded with night-time marches through the capital.
The government has defended the planned investment along the Adriatic coast, describing it as a transformative project that would draw high-end tourism and support Albania's ambitions of joining the European Union. The development covers an abandoned island and a nearby coastal area.
It has drawn sustained criticism from environmental activists, civil society groups and opponents of Rama's Socialist administration.