On Wednesday, thousands of Albanians took to the streets for a 10th consecutive night to demand the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama and protest the real estate project that “the Trump Clan” plans to develop in a protected coastal area.
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Trump Clan’s Coastal Projects Enrage Thousands of Albanians
“The protests have transformed into a broader movement against the system, with demonstrators accusing both the government and the opposition of failing to address the country’s political and economic challenges,” Euro News reported.
“Demonstrators gathered in Skënderbej Square, in the capital, Tirana, to march toward Parliament and chanted, ‘Rama to prison, Berisha to prison,’ in reference to Sali Berisha, the former prime minister and current president of Albania’s Democratic Party,” it added.
Two weeks ago, citizens began expressing their opposition to a luxury tourism project in the Pishe Poro area and on Sazan Island proposed by a company linked to U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and Ivanka Trump.
Since then, public demands have broadened to encompass five key demands: the government’s resignation, the repeal of special regulations for strategic investors, the withdrawal of the “Mountain Package,” the revocation of amendments to the Law on Protected Areas, and the repeal of amendments to the Cultural Heritage Law. However, the movement has evolved into a broader campaign challenging various government policies and laws.
“Protest leaders called on Albanians across the country and abroad to join the latest mobilization, which was deliberately scheduled to coincide with the anniversary of the founding of the League of Prizren, a 19th-century event widely regarded as a symbol of Albanian national unity,” Euro News recalled.
The Trump clan’s luxury project includes a coastal real estate development in the Narta Lagoon area, which is a wildlife reserve, and a smaller tourist complex on the nearby uninhabited island of Sazan, a former military base from the communist era.
In an attempt to justify the project, the government argues that the real estate development will help consolidate the country’s status as a tourist destination. PM Rama has also accused opponents and protesters of being anti-Semitic and acting on behalf of hostile external forces.
[ SOURCE: teleSUR ]
