Al Jazeera: Protesters Demand Prime Minister Rama’s Resignation! The July 4 rally, the largest since the movement began

Al Jazeera has highlighted the protests in Albania, which have been taking place for around two months. In the article, Al Jazeera writes that the rallies, which began at the end of May to protect a natural protected area in southern Albania, have now turned into a broad movement against the government, corruption, and Prime Minister Edi Rama.

Al Jazeera also goes on to cover the July 4 protest, describing it as the largest since the beginning of the movement.

The article also stresses that dissatisfaction has been fueled by earlier political developments. It also mentions the arrests of protesters during clashes with police in front of Parliament.

The Al Jazeera article:

A court in Albania’s capital, Tirana, has released 19 protesters detained during a violent demonstration against a resort linked to the family of US President Donald Trump.

According to the lawyer, the protesters released on Sunday were jailed for “refusing to obey police orders, organizing illegal demonstrations and disturbing public order.”

Two of them will be placed under house arrest and 12 must report to judicial police once or twice a month, lawyer Dorian Matlija said. The other five will face no charges. Dozens of supporters gathered outside the court chanting “Free the boys” and greeted the announcement with cheers.

Since May, Albania has seen nightly demonstrations, initially over a luxury coastal tourism project linked to Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, in a protected natural area. The gatherings have since evolved into broader protests against the government and corruption.

Demonstrators have chanted “New Albania” and “Edi Rama, resign,” referring to the prime minister. The protests escalated last Thursday when hundreds of demonstrators gathered outside parliament for the second time in a week to confront politicians and block the entrance. Police used tear gas, pepper spray and water cannon to disperse them.

Some protesters tried to break through the police cordon and threw eggs, stones and other objects. Fifteen police officers were injured, while 25 demonstrators were arrested. Thursday’s violence stood in sharp contrast to the overwhelmingly peaceful daily gatherings that have drawn thousands of people into the streets since the start of the movement.

Dozens of thousands of people chanting “Free the boys” gathered again on Saturday evening in Tirana in the largest protest since the movement began. The planned resort was first revealed in 2024, but the latest protests began after barbed-wire fences and bulldozers appeared on the beaches at the end of May.

Opposition to the project has become a flashpoint for frustrations over perceived corruption, with demands now including the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama. Earlier this year, violent clashes broke out as protesters demanded the resignation of Rama’s deputy, Belinda Balluku, over corruption suspicions. Balluku was dismissed, but distrust remains.