Tensions escalated in Albania on July 2 as violent clashes broke out outside Parliament in Tirana between riot police and demonstrators opposing a major tourism development linked to the family of U.S. President Donald Trump. Protesters gathered to denounce the construction of a luxury resort in the protected coastal area of Zvernec, a project backed by Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner.
According to Albanian authorities, several hundred protesters attempted to breach police barricades to block lawmakers from entering Parliament. Riot police responded with tear gas, pepper spray, and water cannons after demonstrators threw stones, eggs, and other projectiles. At least a dozen police officers were injured, several protesters were arrested, and police vehicles sustained damage during the unrest.
Opposition to the project has been growing for weeks. Since late May, thousands of Albanians have taken part in demonstrations, arguing that the planned development threatens one of the country’s most environmentally significant coastal ecosystems. The Narta Lagoon and the Zvernec peninsula are home to rich biodiversity, including flamingos and numerous protected migratory bird species. Environmental organizations warn that the project could cause irreversible damage to the area’s fragile habitat.
The movement has gradually evolved beyond environmental concerns into a broader protest against the government of Prime Minister Edi Rama. Nicknamed the “Pink Flamingo Revolution” by several media outlets, the campaign also criticizes the lack of transparency surrounding the approval process, raises concerns about potential corruption, and challenges the government’s broader strategy for tourism development.
The Albanian government continues to defend the project, arguing that it will attract foreign investment, boost high-end tourism, create jobs, and support the country’s long-term economic growth as it pursues closer integration with the European Union. Protest leaders, however, insist they will continue demonstrating until the project is suspended or subjected to an independent review, signaling that the political and environmental dispute is far from over.
