Flamingo Revolution

Sazan Island Resort

Ivanka Trump and her husband, Jared Kushner, first visited Albania on a private trip in July 2021. Trump and Kushner travelled the entire coastline on a yacht owned by Nathaniel Rothschild, a friend of theirs.^[41][42] While out swimming, they encountered the uninhabited, biodiverse island of Sazan, an abandoned military base, and were surprised it had remained undeveloped.^[43][44] Prime Minister Edi Rama met them on the yacht during the trip and discussed investment opportunities with Kushner a year later.^[44][11]

In March 2024, Kushner announced plans to invest in Sazan and the nearby coastal area on the mainland, near the village of Zvërnec.^[45] Environmental groups such as BirdLife have connected Kushner's tourism development project to an amendment to Albania's Protected Areas Law,^[46] passed shortly prior.^[45] It exempted "structures of excellence, 5 stars or more", and related hospitality activities from restrictions on construction in environmentally protected areas, such as where the project was proposed.^[44]

The Albanian government granted the Sazan project strategic investment status on 30 December 2025, noting that it would occupy 565 hectares and some 45 hectares would be developed.^[47] In 2025, Prime Minister Rama said that Albania "can't afford not to exploit a gift like Sazan" and needed luxury tourism.^[43] The land on Sazan was sold in a €1.4-billion deal, which locals and parliamentarians were unaware of until newspapers reported it.^[43][11] Afterwards, Albanians began referring to Sazan as "Trump Island" (Ishulli i Trumpëve).^[43]

Kushner also has plans for a larger second site: the undeveloped coastal stretch of Pishë Poro-Narta within the Vjosa–Narta Protected Landscape.^[44] It is home to endangered species such as monk seals, sea turtles and more than 200 bird species, including flamingos and pelicans.^[44] Over 10,000 accommodation units are planned.^[45][48] Kushner said that he wanted "to create the ideal resort that I'd want to be at with my family and with my friends", and that the government had been very cooperative.^[43] According to Rama, the projects together are worth up to €5 billion.^[11]

Ivanka Trump is also linked to the project. She mentioned her and Kushner's plans on podcasts,^[43] bringing them to wider attention.^[44] Her description of Sazan as their "private island" angered Albanians.^[42] The project became the subject of public debate. Opponents, including residents and environmental organizations, expressed concerns regarding the potential environmental impact of the development and raised questions concerning land ownership within the project area.^[49] Representatives of the project stated that the development was being pursued in accordance with Albanian law and applicable planning procedures.^[50]

Corruption and state capture

The resort controversy developed against a broader background of public concern over corruption, state capture and the relationship between political power, private business interests and public institutions in Albania. Freedom House classified Albania as "Partly Free" in its 2025 report and stated that corruption and bribery remained major problems despite reforms in the justice system.^[51] The European Commission's 2025 Albania report stated that the institutional framework for fighting corruption was in place, but that preventive measures still needed improvement and that the state police remained highly vulnerable to corruption, while also noting positive results by SPAK in high-level corruption cases.^[52]

Commentators connected the protests to wider grievances about oligarchic influence, opaque public decision-making and the use of laws for private or politically connected interests. BiEPAG described the Flamingo Revolution as exposing Albania's "systemic weaknesses", including private security violence, opaque legal amendments and a captured media landscape.^[2] Other analysis described the protests as a channel for wider anger at political elites accused of abusing power and institutions, capturing parts of the media landscape and instrumentalising the law for partisan purposes.^[53]

Several high-profile corruption and procurement cases during Rama's premiership contributed to the broader climate in which the protests developed. In the Albanian incinerators scandal, former environment minister Lefter Koka was sentenced to prison on corruption, abuse-of-power and money-laundering charges related to waste-incinerator contracts, while former deputy prime minister Arben Ahmetaj was charged in connection with the same affair and left Albania; Ahmetaj denied wrongdoing.^[54][55][56] The AKSHI public procurement scandal also became part of wider criticism of state contracting, after SPAK investigated alleged manipulation of public tenders at the National Agency for Information Society (AKSHI), an agency under the authority of the Prime Minister's office that managed major digital-infrastructure and eAlbania contracts.^[57][58]

Democratic backsliding and concentration of power

The protests also took place in the context of concerns about democratic backsliding, concentration of power and long-term political polarisation. The Socialist Party, led by Edi Rama, has governed Albania since 2013 and won a fourth consecutive parliamentary election in 2025.^[59] Freedom House described Albanian politics as competitive but highly polarised, with political parties often organised around leading personalities.^[51]

Analysts argued that the dominance of the Socialist Party under Rama and the Democratic Party under Sali Berisha had left limited space for credible political alternatives and had contributed to a toxic political environment. In this interpretation, the protests expressed not only opposition to the resort project, but also fatigue with both the government and the established opposition. The chants "Rama to prison, Berisha to prison" ("Rama në burg, Berisha në burg!") reflected this broader rejection of the two dominant political camps. Rama's governing style was also described by critics as increasingly associated with concentrated decision-making and reduced space for parliamentary dialogue or civil society consultation.^[53]

Election-related controversies under Rama also formed part of the protesters' wider criticism of state institutions and political power. In 2019, Bild published audio recordings connected to the 2017 parliamentary elections, including conversations involving Socialist officials and local power brokers that opposition parties and critics described as evidence of vote-buying, intimidation and links between politics and organised crime.^[60] The Patronageists scandal in 2021 raised further concerns about the use of personal data and party-linked voter monitoring, after Lapsi.al reported that a database allegedly connected to the Socialist Party contained personal information and political-preference notes for around 910,000 voters or residents of Tirana.^[61][62] The OSCE/ODIHR final report on the 2025 parliamentary election later stated that the vote was competitive and professionally managed, but that contestants did not enjoy a level playing field and cited allegations of intimidation, misuse of public resources, pressure on public employees and vote-buying.^[63]

Concerns about the separation of powers also grew in 2026 after Rama announced plans for legislation that would prevent courts from suspending ministers under criminal investigation. Reuters reported that opposition parties said the proposal would undermine judicial independence and protect Rama's allies, while Rama accused the judiciary of overreach.^[64] The proposal followed corruption proceedings against senior government figures, including Deputy Prime Minister and Infrastructure Minister Belinda Balluku, who denied allegations over the alleged manipulation of public tenders.^[65]

Media capture and government influence

Concerns over media capture and political influence over public information also formed part of the background to the protests. The 2026 World Press Freedom Index, issued by Reporters Without Borders, ranked Albania 83rd out of 180 countries, stating that press freedom and media independence were threatened by conflicts of interest between business and politics, a flawed legal framework and partisan regulation. It also stated that journalists who were critical of the authorities were often subjected to discrediting attacks, that access to state-held information was difficult, and that self-censorship was widespread.^[66]

Transparency International EU similarly noted concerns about concentration of mass media ownership, lack of transparency in mass media ownership, and the independence of public service media, while also reporting an increase in attacks against journalists in 2025.^[67]

During the early phase of the protests, media capture became one of the issues raised by commentators and activists. BiEPAG argued that several mainstream outlets had ignored live coverage or spread disinformation about the protests, including by amplifying claims that the demonstrations were externally sponsored or motivated by foreign interests.^[2] Reporter.al also described the use of artificial-intelligence-generated images and police-camera material against the protest narrative, linking the information campaign to attempts to discredit the movement.^[68] The reliance of protesters on social media, livestreams, memes and diaspora networks was therefore partly framed as a response to distrust of traditional media and perceived government influence over national broadcasters and major private outlets.^[2]

Earlier media-freedom disputes under Rama also shaped the protest movement's distrust of mainstream media and official narratives. In 2019, Rama's government proposed changes to Albania's media legislation, known by critics as the "anti-defamation" package, which would have allowed the Audiovisual Media Authority to fine online media outlets and order the removal or blocking of content. Albanian and international media organisations criticised the draft laws as a threat to free expression and online journalism.^[69][70] The Albanian Ombudsman said the draft laws did not meet international standards, while the Venice Commission later identified several flaws and recommended changes intended to protect freedom of expression.^[71]

Rama has also clashed publicly with Reporters Without Borders over assessments of media freedom in Albania. After Albania's fall in the World Press Freedom Index, Rama dismissed parts of the organisation's criticism as "lies" and "fantasies". Reporters Without Borders responded by criticising his treatment of journalists and by pointing to political attacks and pressure on critical reporters.^[72][73]

Beginning of the protests

Residents of Zvërnec were not informed about the development and became aware almost exclusively through media reports.^[45][43] At the end of April 2026, the company Zvërnec South Adriatic Development fenced off part of the protected coastal area of Zvërnec-Portonovo as part of the preparations using a disputed work permit.^[50][68] Residents, such as village headman Kostaq Konomi, said that the beach contained ancestral properties claimed within cadastral zone 3951; for two decades, locals have been involved in legal land disputes with businessmen such as Artur Shehu.^[45]

Reporter.al, the Albanian outlet of the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network, reported that Zvërnec South Adriatic Development was established in August 2024 and owned by Dutch Trust Management B.V, a Dutch trust, obscuring the owners' identities. The company is linked through a network of shell companies to the Sazan Island project and to Qatari investor brothers Ramez Al-Khayyat and Mohamad Al-Khayyat. The outlet also reported that the company had secured two unpublished development permits from the National Territorial Council for tourist resorts in Zvërnec, which had not been officially published, and that later preparatory fencing and access-road works were carried out after company representatives presented inspectors with an AZHT document that Reporter.al said was still awaiting formal approval.^[45][74] During the 2026 protests, Rama confirmed Kushner and Trump's involvement but also said that there was a wider group of investors and architects from Denmark, France, Greece, Japan, and Turkey.^[44]

On 30 May 2026, activists and local residents were assaulted by private security personnel. Police were present but did not intervene as a demonstrator was dragged inside the fenced area.^[68] These events expanded the local dispute into mass protests in Tirana.^[75]

Symbols

The flamingo became a symbol of the protests, which were described by several media outlets as the "Flamingo Revolution".^[76][77][78] Greater flamingos (Phoenicopterus roseus) are among the species that inhabit the protected Vjosa–Narta wetland ecosystem.^[48][79][80] During demonstrations, protesters carried flamingo cutouts and inflatable flamingos.^[81][80]

Some protest imagery replaced the eagle on the flag of Albania with flamingos and changed the red background to blue, a reference to the sea and wetland ecosystem.^[82] BalkanWeb described the flamingo as a civic protest symbol that was not directly associated with any existing Albanian political party.^[83]

The Straw Hats' Jolly Roger flag from the manga series One Piece was also reported to have appeared at the protests.^[84] The flag has been used in other youth-led protest movements internationally as a symbol of resistance to authority.^[85] Some sources have described the demonstrations as Gen Z protests due to Generation Z's prominent role in their organization and symbolism.^[86][84]

May 2026

On 16 May, a precursor demonstration was held at the Akërni construction site in the Pishë Poro–Narta area. Local residents and environmental activists marched to the fenced site, removed part of its entrance and entered the construction area, arguing that the works threatened a protected landscape and that information about the development had not been made public. The National Inspectorate for Territorial Protection said that the activity consisted of fencing and preparatory work for access roads on privately registered land and was covered by a development permit and an environmental-impact report.^[87]

On 23 May, local residents and environmental activists gathered near the Narta Lagoon to protest the barbed-wire fencing of Pishë Poro-Narta beach, part of the protected Vjosa–Narta landscape. According to Reporter.al, protesters carried banners defending the natural environment and opposing what they described as the seizure of local property by business interests linked to the government.^[45]

On 30 May, demonstrators gathered near the project site in Portonovo. During the protest, confrontations occurred between protesters and private security personnel present at the site.^[88] Videos and photographs published by Albanian activists and journalists showed physical altercations and the use of pepper spray, which reportedly affected police officers and Lëvizja Bashkë activist and journalist Loreta Koleci.^[49][88] Following the incident, Albanian authorities announced investigations into the conduct of those involved.^[89]

The Albanian Helsinki Committee later stated that, according to its monitoring, the protest had begun peacefully and escalated after a local resident participating in the demonstration was forcibly dragged inside the fenced construction area by civilians who were not part of the contracted Myrto private-security structure. The committee called for a full investigation into the use of force by unauthorized persons and into reports that pepper spray had affected both protesters and police officers.^[30]

On 31 May, the protests expanded to Tirana for the first time. Demonstrators marched from the State Police Directorate to the Ministry of Interior and then to the prime minister's office, calling for accountability over the Zvërnec violence and using slogans including "Albania is not for sale" and "cancel the project".^[90][91]

June 2026

On 1–2 June, daily demonstrations continued in Tirana against the planned resort project. Protesters gathered in Skanderbeg Square and marched toward the prime minister's office, opposing construction in protected areas, demanding transparency over the development contracts and increasingly calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama.^[92][93][94] Organized groups refused Rama's offer to meet a 20-person delegation, choosing instead to continue public demonstrations.^[93]

On 3 June, the protests escalated in Tirana. Demonstrators demanded Rama's resignation, criticized opposition leader Sali Berisha and called for the repeal of changes to the law on protected areas.^[95][96] The Associated Press reported that demonstrators broke through a police cordon and that police used water cannon to disperse the crowd.^[80] Protesters also stopped outside the Democratic Party of Albania headquarters, criticizing the party's position on the project and Berisha's earlier support for it.^[97] A small number of anti-Israel messages appeared during the early demonstrations; international and regional sources described these as conspiracy narratives and not representative of the movement's main demands.^[78][98][2]

On 4–9 June, the Tirana demonstrations continued and the movement spread to other Albanian cities, including Korçë, Fier, Kukës, Vlorë, Elbasan, Durrës, Shkodër, Pogradec, Gjirokastër and Lezhë.^[99][100] On 6 June, a separate gathering was held at Dalan beach in the Zvërnec area, returning the demonstrations to the coast near the proposed development.^[101] On 8 June, demonstrators gathered below Rozafa Castle during Rama's visit to Shkodër, opposing the developments at both Zvërnec and Rrjoll.^[102] On 9 June, protesters marched through central Lezhë and raised broader concerns about living costs, unemployment and emigration, while smaller gatherings continued in Elbasan and Gjirokastër.^[103][104] Reuters and Al Jazeera reported that several thousand people continued to protest in Tirana while holding flamingo symbols and calling for the project to stop.^[81][105]

On 8 June, tensions were reported inside the protest movement after members of the Youth Forum of the Democratic Party of Albania attempted to join the Tirana demonstration. Some protesters opposed their participation and accused the Democratic Party of trying to take over or divide the movement, while organizers later limited public speeches to selected representatives from fields such as science and education.^[106][15]

On 10 June, the protest in Tirana was organized as a larger nationwide gathering and coincided with the 148th anniversary of the League of Prizren. Protesters used the slogan "Prizren 1878, Tirana 2026", while media and commentators described the movement as having broadened from opposition to the Zvërnec project into a wider challenge to the political system, the main parties and the Rama government.^{[107][1][108]}

On 13 June, residents of Rrjoll protested against a separate resort construction project, broke through part of the fencing around the site and entered the construction area, with tensions reported between residents, police and private security.^[9][109] Later the same day, the Tirana protest became one of the largest gatherings of the movement, with strong participation from the Albanian diaspora. International media estimated the crowd at 100,000 to 200,000 participants, while protesters continued demanding Rama's resignation and action against corruption across the political class.^{[110][111][112]}

On 14 June, protesters marched from Skanderbeg Square to the prime minister's office and later onto the Tirana–Durrës Highway, blocking the highway for several hours before heading toward the Rinas road and Tirana International Airport Nënë Tereza.^[113][114] Around 02:00 on 15 June, police units, including Shqiponjat and Rapid Intervention Forces (FNSH), stopped the march near the airport. Protesters sat on the Rinas road for about an hour and later returned toward Tirana, dispersing in the early morning.^[115]

Between 15 and 19 June, daily evening protests and marches continued in Tirana. Protesters repeatedly targeted both the government and the older opposition, while police later opened criminal proceedings against 19 people over the Rinas march and against 16 people after protesters entered the Fan Zone in Skanderbeg Square during World Cup broadcasts.^[32][33] On 18 June, protesters marched to the Parliament building during a plenary session, called on deputies to resign and confronted Socialist Party MP Ardit Bido, who was escorted away by police.^[116][117]

On 20 June, the twenty-first consecutive protest became the largest demonstration of the movement to date. It was organized as a nationwide anti-government mobilization in Tirana, with participants arriving from across Albania and from the Albanian diaspora.^[118][119] The crowd filled much of Dëshmorët e Kombit Boulevard, while speakers presented the movement as a peaceful national civic revolt against corruption, state capture and the old political class.^[120] Albanian media estimates placed participation at more than 250,000 people.^[29]

On 21–23 June, the protest wave broadened to other civic and social issues. In Kakome, residents and emigrants protested over long-running property disputes and removed sections of fencing around disputed land; the protest was reported as peaceful.^[121] On 22 June, the protest coordinating group presented a five-point platform calling for Rama's resignation, a 12-month non-partisan technical government, constitutional and electoral reforms, term limits for the office of prime minister, repeal of disputed laws and development packages, and a new social contract.^[12][13] On 23 June, the Union of Trade Unions of Albania held a related protest in Tirana over wages, staffing levels, social dialogue, trade-union rights and the quality of public services.^[122][123]

On 25–26 June, protesters again read the five-point platform and sent an official letter to Western ambassadors and heads of mission accredited in Albania. The letter described the movement as peaceful and civic and asked diplomats to take the protesters' non-negotiable demands seriously.^[124][125] A small group of protesters also began spending the night near the prime minister's office, a practice that continued intermittently in the following days.^[126]

On 27 June, the twenty-eighth consecutive protest was held as another Saturday nationwide gathering with significant diaspora participation. Italian MEP Ilaria Salis joined the protest and described the movement as an example of civic courage in Europe.^[127][128] On 28 June, the twenty-ninth consecutive protest entered its fifth week, and protesters announced a larger nationwide mobilization for 4 July.^[129][130]

On 29 June, the thirtieth consecutive protest marked one month of daily demonstrations. Several European political representatives joined or addressed the rally, including MEPs Tineke Strik, Daniel Freund, Cristina Guarda, Jutta Paulus and Anna Strolenberg, while later coverage also reported speeches by Nicolae Ștefănuță, a vice-president of the European Parliament, and Vula Tsetsi, co-chair of the European Green Party. Their remarks focused on democracy, anti-corruption, environmental protection and Albania's European future.^{[131][132][133]}

On 30 June, protesters gathered outside the Parliament of Albania during a plenary session. Demonstrators accused the Parliament of failing to represent citizens and demanded the resignation of Rama and his government. The protest included symbolic actions against deputies and official vehicles, and tensions increased after eggs were thrown at Socialist officials and vehicles.^[134][135] Several protesters were escorted to police stations after physical confrontations with police. Opportunity Party leader Agron Shehaj and MP Erald Kapri went to the Tirana Police Directorate and later to police stations to seek information about those taken by police; according to Shehaj, six protesters had been escorted or detained. BalkanWeb later reported that the six had been released after several hours.^[136][137]

Later that evening, the regular thirty-first protest resumed in Skanderbeg Square and outside the prime minister's office. Protesters again marched through Tirana, targeting both the government and the old opposition, and announced a gathering outside SPAK for the following day.^[138][139]

July 2026

On 1 July, protesters gathered outside SPAK in Tirana and submitted material related to the book The Albanian Files, which they described as evidence of state capture, unlawful development in protected areas and conflicts of interest. Activist Sidorela Vatnikaj entered the building to submit the material, while lawyers connected to the protest movement said they were preparing a criminal complaint related to the issues raised by the publication.^{[140][141][142]} The regular evening protest later continued in Tirana, where protesters again demanded Rama's resignation, investigations into Rama and deputy prime minister Belinda Balluku, and a protest outside Parliament the following day.^[143]

On 2 July, protesters gathered outside the Parliament of Albania during a plenary session, in the most serious escalation of the movement up to that point. Police surrounded the Parliament area and deployed additional security measures, including an armoured vehicle and a water tanker, while protesters threw eggs and flour at Socialist Party deputies and vehicles and called on deputies to resign.^{[144][145][146][147]} The protest escalated after demonstrators attempted to remove part of the metal barrier and breached a police cordon. Police used tear gas, pepper spray and water cannon after protesters threw rocks, eggs, bottles and other objects.^{[148][149][5]}

After the clashes, 19 people received medical treatment, including 15 police officers and four protesters or citizens. More than 20 protesters were escorted or detained, while several lawyers alleged excessive force, irregular procedures and mistreatment in custody. Reports and videos also showed police entering a nearby café and removing several protesters, including activist Gent Progni, who later alleged from inside a cell that he had been beaten while handcuffed.^{[31][37][150][151][152]} Later that day, protesters gathered outside the prime minister's office and then marched to police station no. 3 on Mine Peza Street, demanding the release of detained protesters.^[153]

On 3 July, the thirty-fourth consecutive protest was held in Tirana. The gathering began in Skanderbeg Square before moving toward the prime minister's office, police station no. 3 and the Tirana Prosecutor's Office, with Rama's resignation and the release of those detained after the 2 July clashes remaining central demands. Organizers presented the protest as a prelude to a larger nationwide mobilization announced for 4 July.^{[154][155][156][157]}

On 4 July, the thirty-fifth consecutive protest was held in Tirana as a nationwide and diaspora mobilization. Earlier in the day, heavy traffic and long queues were reported at border crossings, including at Morinë, where more than 11,000 citizens entered Albania within four hours. A Kosovo Border Management Center notice said queues had formed because Albanian authorities were registering people entering Albanian territory, while diaspora groups also entered through Muriqan and other crossings.^{[158][159][160][161]}

The 4 July protest began in Skanderbeg Square and continued along Dëshmorët e Kombit Boulevard toward the prime minister's office. Protesters carried national flags, placards and anti-government symbols, and continued demanding Rama's resignation, a technical government, investigations by SPAK and the release of protesters detained after the 2 July Parliament clashes. The protest also included symbolic actions tied to Rama's birthday, including a mock birthday cake and a symbolic coffin. A tall bust of Rama was also toppled with a rope, in an action that the Associated Press compared to the 1991 toppling of the statue of communist leader Enver Hoxha.^{[162][163][164][165]} After several hours outside the prime minister's office, protesters marched to police station no. 3 on Mine Peza Street. Tensions occurred there after windows were broken at the building, and police used water to disperse the crowd.^[166][167]

Also on 4 July, lawyer Gentian Serjani alleged that detained protester Niko Qarkaj had been beaten by police while being held in the security block near Mine Peza Street after suffering epileptic seizures. Serjani said Qarkaj had shown him bloodied clothes, had not received proper assistance during the seizures and had been on hunger strike since his detention. Qarkaj was later taken by ambulance from the security block to hospital, while his lawyer said the People's Advocate and the Albanian Helsinki Committee had been notified.^{[7][168][169]}

On 5 July, residents of Nikaj-Mërtur in Tropojë and environmental activists protested against a KESH project for the construction of three dams on the Mërtur River, arguing that the works lacked adequate consultation and threatened the area's natural and tourism value.^[170][171] The same day, the Tirana court reviewed security measures for 21 people detained after the 2 July Parliament clashes, placing two protesters, Everest Bardhi and Ervin Gega, under house arrest, ordering reporting obligations for 14 others and releasing five without a security measure.^{[39][172][173]}

Between 5 and 10 July, daily protests continued in Tirana, with demonstrators maintaining demands for Rama's resignation, a transitional government and accountability over the 2 July police response and detentions.^{[174][175][176][177][178][179]}

During the same period, protesters also reacted to the government's decision to allocate 400 million lek (€4.2 million) from the state budget's reserve fund for a Kanye West concert near Tirana. The allocation was approved through a normative act on 6 July, using the constitutional procedure for urgent and necessary measures.^[180] Reuters reported that the decision added to public anger amid the protests, while Rama defended the funding as necessary to prevent the event's cancellation and argued that it would generate at least €100 million in revenue. At the 9 July protest, activists denounced the concert funding alongside police action over online reviews of businesses.^[181][182]

Opposition groups subsequently pursued legal challenges to the allocation. On 10 July, Lëvizja Shqipëria Bëhet submitted a request to the Constitutional Court seeking the annulment of the normative act.^[183] On 13 July, the parliamentary group of the Democratic Party filed a criminal complaint with SPAK against Rama and culture minister Blendi Gonxhja. The complaint alleged abuse of office and violation of equality in public procurement in connection with the allocation; the allegations had not been adjudicated.^[184]

On 11 July, the forty-second consecutive protest was held as another Saturday nationwide and diaspora mobilization in Tirana. Protesters gathered in Skanderbeg Square and marched toward the prime minister's office, while organizers said members of the Albanian diaspora would again join the demonstration. BalkanWeb reported that protesters continued to demand Rama's resignation and marched through several main streets of Tirana, with later drone footage showing tens of thousands of participants in the capital's streets.^[185][186]

On 12–17 July, the forty-third through forty-eighth consecutive protests were held in Tirana. Demonstrators gathered in Skanderbeg Square, continued to the prime minister's office and marched through central Tirana, maintaining their demands for Rama's resignation.^{[187][188][189][190][191][192][193]} Organizers announced a nationwide mobilisation with diaspora participation for 18 July.^[194] On 13 July, lawyer and activist Altin Goxhaj also filed a criminal complaint with SPAK against State Police director Skënder Hita, alleging abuse of office and unlawful persecution in connection with police inquiries into negative online reviews of businesses; the allegations had not been adjudicated.^[195]

Europe

On 6 June, Albanians in Vienna held a protest against the Albanian government, carrying placards such as "Albania is not for sale" and chanting for Rama to resign.^[203] On 7 June, people gathered near the headquarters of the European Union in Brussels in support of the protests in Albania, carrying Albanian flags and placards calling for environmental protection and transparency over the planned development.^[204] On 8 June, during a protest organized by Andrey Ralev in Sofia, demonstrators called upon the European Union to act immediately and side with the protesters in Albania.^[205] On 13 June, Albanians gathered in Lyon with flags and flamingo symbols in support of the protests in Albania.^[206]

On 5 June, several hundred demonstrators gathered near the Embassy of Albania in Berlin to protest against the project, while also raising concerns about pensions, working conditions, education, and government policies affecting young people.^[207][208] On the same day, another rally was held near the Albanian Consulate in Munich, with the call "For nature, for justice, for Albania".^[209] On 7 June, diaspora protests were also held in Hamburg, Stuttgart and Heidelberg.^{[199][210][211]} On 13 June, dozens of Albanians gathered in Nuremberg as part of the diaspora protests.^[206] On 14 June, Albanians held another protest in Munich alongside the demonstrations in Tirana, chanting "Rama in prison, Berisha in prison".^[212] On the same day, several hundred people participated in a demonstration in Cologne.^[213]

On 16 June, Rama was confronted by Albanian protesters in Berlin during his visit to the Annual Conference of the Eastern Committee. As he left the event, protesters chanted slogans including "Edi Rama, traitor, resign as soon as possible", "Shame", "Cancel the project" and "Cancel the law"; Rama waved at the protesters before entering his car.^[214][215]

On 1 July, Rama was again met by Albanian diaspora protesters in Germany, this time in Düsseldorf, where he had travelled for a meeting with Hendrik Wüst, the Minister-President of North Rhine-Westphalia. A group of Albanian protesters carrying national symbols gathered at the start of the meeting and called for Rama's resignation. BalkanWeb reported that the protesters also raised placards and slogans against laws which, according to them, favoured the privatization of public assets, linking the Düsseldorf protest with the wider demonstrations taking place in Tirana.^[216]

On 6 June, Albanian migrants and solidarity activists demonstrated in Syntagma Square, Athens, opposing the planned tourism development near the protected Vjosa–Narta wetlands and the Zvërnec coastline. Participants carried banners and flamingo symbols associated with the movement.^[217][218] On 13 June, people gathered in Dublin to protest against Rama's government and demand his resignation.^[219]

On 6 June, around 2,000 people gathered in Milan to join the protests, holding signs, singing national songs and shouting slogans against the Albanian government.^[220][221] On the same day, 450 people gathered in Florence for a similar protest.^[222] On 7 June, hundreds of Albanians gathered in Bologna, chanting slogans against Edi Rama and opposing the planned resort project.^[223] On 14 June, diaspora rallies continued in Italy. Genoa and Faenza were listed among the planned 14 June gatherings, while protests were also held in Rome and Pisa, where participants carried Albanian flags and placards and called for the resignation of the Albanian government.^{[112][224][225]}

On 4 June, activists and citizens gathered outside the Embassy of Albania in Pristina in solidarity with the protests in Albania. They opposed planned interventions in protected natural areas and criticized what they described as the privatization of public spaces.^[226] On 7 June, Albanians protested in The Hague against the Albanian government and the planned development in Zvërnec, using slogans including "Albania is not for sale".^[227] On 7 June, a solidarity protest was listed in Skopje, at Macedonia Square, as part of the international protest calendar connected with the movement.^[197]

On 5 June, a protest was held in Stockholm with the call "Save Vjosa-Narta".^[209] On 13 June, the Albanian diaspora in Stockholm again protested, chanting "Rama resign" and "Rama in prison" and accusing the Albanian government of selling the country.^[228] On 7 June, people gathered in Bern as part of wider diaspora protests held in several European and North American cities.^[199] On 13 June, another protest was held outside the Embassy of Albania in Bern, with participants calling for Rama's resignation.^[229]

On 6 June, members of the Albanian diaspora gathered outside the Embassy of Albania in London to protest against the planned resort development and call for Rama's resignation.^[230] The protest continued the following day, when Albanians living in the United Kingdom gathered again outside the embassy with national flags and placards calling for environmental protection, transparency and Rama's resignation.^[231][232] On 13 June, Albanians in London again gathered with flamingo symbols and Albanian flags as part of the wider diaspora mobilization.^[206]

North America

On 6 June, people in Toronto took part in the protests, wearing red and black clothing and carrying Albanian flags while calling for Prime Minister Edi Rama to resign.^[233] Toronto was also listed among the cities where further diaspora rallies were planned for 14 June.^[112]

On 6 June, an estimated 1,500 to 2,000 people gathered outside the Albanian Consulate in New York City in support of protecting the Vjosa-Narta wetlands and opposing the planned resort project. A second New York gathering was planned for 14 June.^[234] On the same day, members of the Albanian diaspora also gathered outside the Albanian Embassy in Washington, D.C., calling for the resignation of Rama and the government.^[198] On 28 June, a large protest predominantly comprising members of the Albanian diaspora took place in Waterbury, Connecticut.^[235]

On 12 July, Albanian Americans from several states gathered outside the United Nations headquarters in New York in support of the forty-third consecutive protest in Albania. The demonstrators repeated the movement's demands for the repeal of disputed laws, political and electoral reforms, a non-partisan transitional government and Rama's resignation.^[236]

Oceania

On 13 June, people gathered in Melbourne in support of the protests in Albania, calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama and a change in government.^[237]

Government

Democratic Party

The Democratic Party of Albania, Albania's largest opposition party, had an initially cautious and contested position toward the protests. In the early days of the movement, demonstrators criticized both Rama and Democratic Party leader Sali Berisha, reflecting a wider anti-establishment mood and distrust of the old political class.^[97][1] On 1 June, Berisha condemned violence against protesters in Zvërnec while also stating that the Democratic Party supported foreign investment and was not seeking to drive investors away from Albania.^[274][275]

As the demonstrations continued, Berisha moved toward more explicit support. By 7 June, Top Channel described his position as a reversal, reporting that he had shifted from conditional support for investment and demands for transparency to full support for protesters opposing the project.^[16] On 10 June, he instructed Democratic Party supporters to join the demonstrations without party symbols, saying that the movement was civic and youth-led and that the party had also sought support for the protests from the European People's Party.^[17]

The party's growing support remained controversial because the protest movement presented itself as civic and non-partisan. On 8 June, tensions occurred when members of the Youth Forum of the Democratic Party of Albania attempted to join the protest and some demonstrators accused party activists of trying to divide or appropriate the movement.^[276] In parliamentary debates, Democratic Party representatives increasingly defended the protesters' demands, including Rama's resignation, while government figures used the party's change of position to accuse Berisha and the opposition of opportunism.^[277]

On 7 July 2026, in an interview with Truth Times, opposition leader Sali Berisha described the demonstrations as "the most important movement of the last 35 years", comparing them to the movement that overthrew Albania's communist regime in the early 1990s. He said the Democratic Party supported the protests but would not seek to lead them, called for Prime Minister Edi Rama's resignation and the formation of a non-partisan caretaker government, rejected the government's claims of foreign involvement in the demonstrations, and alleged that authorities had attempted to portray the protests as antisemitic while insisting the movement was "not, and is not, antisemitic".^[278]

The Democratic Party also used a parliamentary boycott in support of the protesters' demands. On 18 June, its deputies boycotted the vote on a penal-amnesty bill after arguing that the protesters' demands should take precedence on Parliament's agenda.^[279] From 13 July, the parliamentary group began a broader boycott of plenary sittings, while continuing to participate in parliamentary committees. Berisha said the boycott would remain in place until amendments submitted by Democratic Party deputies in support of the protesters' five demands were brought before Parliament.^[280] The decision was contested within the party: MPs Jorida Tabaku, Ina Zhupa and Bujar Leskaj argued that absence from plenary sittings deprived the opposition and the protesters of an important public platform.^[281]

Minor opposition parties

The Opportunity Party was the largest minor opposition party represented in Parliament during the protests, with two MPs, Agron Shehaj and Erald Kapri, following the 2025 parliamentary election.^[282][283] The party supported the protest movement, with Shehaj publicly acknowledging its involvement in protests over tourism developments and property disputes from Theth to Nartë, including Zvërnec.^[19] Its representatives were also active in the related Rrjoll property and resort dispute, which became connected to the wider protest narrative over coastal development, private interests and property rights.^{[284][285][286]} During the Tirana phase of the protests, Shehaj and Kapri followed the situation of detained protesters, requested information from police authorities after the Parliament clashes and visited protesters held at police stations.^{[287][288][289]}

Both Opportunity Party MPs were also subjected to disciplinary exclusion from parliamentary proceedings during the protest period. On 18 June, Parliament speaker Niko Peleshi ordered Shehaj removed from the sitting after he repeatedly called on Rama to resign during the vote on the penal-amnesty bill.^[290] On 22 June, Parliament's ethics body imposed a further 30-day exclusion on Shehaj and a 20-day exclusion on Kapri, stating that the two had obstructed the 18 June sitting during their confrontation with Rama.^[291] The additional measure against Shehaj followed a separate 30-day suspension imposed over an earlier confrontation with finance minister Petrit Malaj, extending his consecutive exclusion from parliamentary work to 60 days.^[292]

Lëvizja Bashkë and its leaders Arlind Qori and Redi Muçi were also among the earliest political actors visibly associated with the protests, although the demonstrations were presented by organizers as civic rather than party-led. Qori and Muçi supported the protesters' demands, criticized both Rama and Berisha, and framed the movement as a broader rejection of the old political establishment.^{[20][293][294]}

Lëvizja Shqipëria Bëhet, led by Adriatik Lapaj, also became visible during the Tirana phase of the protests, while activists linked to the movement promoted protest-related mobilizations and diaspora solidarity actions.^[21] Media coverage of these parties emphasized both their growing visibility and the continued sensitivity among protesters over attempts by any party to dominate the movement.^[276]

President

On 24 June, President Bajram Begaj reacted publicly to the protests for the first time. Speaking during a ceremony marking the 100th anniversary of the creation of the Tirana Prefecture, Begaj said that citizens were peacefully expressing concerns and expectations in public and that the right to participate in public life was protected by the Constitution of Albania. He also said that this right had to be exercised in accordance with the Constitution and the law, and linked democratic consolidation to the joint commitment of citizens and institutions to the rule of law and the public interest.^[295]

Project developers

The project developer said that the development was being carried out in accordance with Albanian law and applicable planning procedures.^[50] Reuters quoted Asher Abehsera, chairman of Sazan Real Estate Development LLC, as saying that the developers' focus remained on "responsible stewardship, environmental enhancement, job creation, and creating long-term value for local communities".^[48] On 22 June, Affinity Partners, the investment firm led by Jared Kushner, denied that it was involved in the Zvërnec resort project, saying that the project was being developed by Sazan Real Estate Development LLC and that any American partners were acting in a personal capacity rather than on behalf of Affinity Partners.^[296]

State institutions and law enforcement

International response

Environmental and other organizations

Public figures

Public figures who publicly supported the protests include:

Other reactions

The protests in Albania were also joined by foreign tourists, who expressed solidarity with the demonstrators.^{[374][375][376][377]} American singer Katy Perry drew attention on social media after posting a comment "Delulu island" under a video in which Ivanka Trump discussed a proposed tourism development project on Sazan Island.^[378] A photograph of protesters in Tirana during ongoing demonstrations was selected by The Guardian as one of its "photos of the day".^[379]