Citizens Demand Rama’s Resignation / Associated Press: Police Used Tear Gas and Spray as Protests Target Government and Prime Minister

The news agency Associated Press reported on the latest protest in Tirana, the one held in front of Parliament where police used force against citizens opposing the government.

The protest is part of a series of gatherings that began more than a month ago against a luxury seaside resort project linked to Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of U.S. President Donald Trump.

“The protests, which organizers have called the ‘Flamingo Revolution,’ initially began as opposition to the tourism development project in the Narta Lagoon because of environmental concerns. Over the weeks, they have turned into broader political protests against the government and Prime Minister Edi Rama,” AP writes.

According to the authorities, police used tear gas, pepper spray and water cannons to disperse the crowd after protesters threw stones, eggs, plastic bottles and other objects at officers.

Authorities announced that 12 police officers were injured in the clashes, while 18 protesters were detained.

In recent weeks, thousands of citizens have taken to the streets blowing whistles and carrying cardboard flamingo figures, one of the protected species of migratory birds whose habitats, according to opponents of the project, could be endangered by the construction of the resort on the Adriatic coast.

On the other hand, the Albanian government has defended the project, arguing that development in the Narta Lagoon will be transformative for the country’s economy, in efforts to attract elite tourism and advance the process of integration into the European Union.

“On Thursday, several hundred protesters gathered in front of Parliament in Tirana, demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama and chanting: ‘Rama must go to prison,’” AP writes.