Thousands of Albanian citizens protested for the 12th consecutive night against a project to develop protected areas on the southern Albanian coast in the Zvarnets region (Vlora County), ATA reported, BTA reported.
Protesters continue to demand the resignation of Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, the cancellation of the Zvarnets development project due to the damage it could cause to the environment, and the removal of Sali Berisha from the leadership of the country's main opposition force, the Democratic Party, for his support for the project. At the protest last night, they spoke out against the sale of national treasures and demanded an investigation into the assets of politicians in the country.
As on previous evenings, the demonstrators gathered at the central square “Skanderbeg“ and marched to the building housing the Albanian Prime Minister's office. They carried banners with the inscriptions “Albania for Albanians, not for traitors“, “New Albania“, “Without youth, there is no Albania“.
During the demonstration, environmentalists emphasized the importance of the Narta Lagoon, which is located near Zvarnets, and stated that it is important not only for Albania, but also for the whole of Europe, because a large number of migratory birds pass through it.
According to information from the Albanian information portal “Schiptar“ The protesters have stated that they do not want to have any politically connected individuals among them and do not want to be associated with the protest marches that the Albanian opposition is holding. From the podium of yesterday's protest, the need to give the protest a structure and create a party that would enter a future technical (interim) government was once again emphasized, the portal also writes.
On May 30, during a protest against the construction of a resort in Zvarnets, clashes broke out, in which employees of a private security company used violence against a protester. In the twelve nights after the incident, protests were held in the Albanian capital Tirana against the project, which, according to Albanian media, is led by the investment company “Affinity Partners“ of Jared Kushner, son-in-law of US President Donald Trump. The demonstrations were defined by Albanian and world media as the “flamingo revolution“ because of the flamingo, which is a symbol of the Narta Lagoon near Vlora and is used as a symbol by the demonstrators.
At the same time, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama has repeatedly defended the Zvarnets project, including in interviews with Reuters, the Associated Press and “Al Jazeera“, and described the protests as “an attempt at a hybrid war against Albania“. Rama told “Politico“ that the hybrid war of disinformation against the investment, which is estimated at around 4 billion euros or even more, is being waged by Iran.
A spokesman for the European Commission said a few days ago that within the framework of Albania's negotiations for EU membership, especially under Chapter 27, related to the environment and climate change, the country must fully harmonize its legislation with that of the bloc.