55-day protest in Albania: Law enforcement uses tear gas and water cannons against demonstrators near Parliament

Tensions escalated on Thursday morning in front of the Albanian parliament building, where police officers deployed tear gas and water cannons to disperse the crowd of protesters.

A wave of public anger has swept the country, fueled by opposition to a tourism initiative linked to the family circle of former US President Donald Trump.

Since late May, citizens have regularly taken to the streets to voice their opposition to plans for a luxury hotel in a protected coastal area.

The project is rumored to be linked to Ivanka Trump and her husband, Jared Kushner.

In recent weeks, some gatherings have degenerated into physical clashes with law enforcement right in front of the parliament building in Tirana, where participants have attempted to pelt lawmakers with eggs.

In the early hours of Thursday morning, a significant number of police were placed on standby. According to witnesses from the French news agency AFP, the crowd tried to breach the security cordon to approach the parliament building, prompting officers to respond with tear gas and powerful water cannons.

This latest demonstration coincided with a parliamentary session where approval was expected for a 4-million-euro (about 4.6 million US dollars) funding for a concert held by Kanye West earlier this month in the capital.

Prime Minister Edi Rama had personally committed to this amount, arguing it was necessary to avoid the failure of the musical event.

This decision further enraged the group of protesters, who have been on the streets for more than a month over the resort issue.

The complex has become a symbol of concerns over alleged corruption and lack of transparency in the government’s actions.

The plan for the luxury resort, which is intended to cover a protected natural area and a nearby uninhabited island, has mobilized large masses of citizens and drawn international attention due to environmental concerns and ties to the Trump family.

Although authorities have not provided official figures on attendance at the nightly protests, field estimates by AFP journalists indicate that the number of demonstrators has reached the thousands, at least until mid-July.