Protests by the “Flamingo” movement in Albania have crossed the country’s borders, spreading to Albanian communities across Europe. German public broadcaster Hessenschau has devoted a report to Albanian protesters in Frankfurt, who have been gathering every week for around four months in support of the protests in Albania.

According to the German media outlet, around 30 protesters gathered one Sunday in September near Konstablerwache in Frankfurt, holding signs with messages such as “Protect Albania” and “Investment for citizens, not oligarchs!”

Article by Dennis Stockfisch

Around 30 demonstrators gathered one Sunday in September under the shelter of a business in Frankfurt. They held up signs reading “Protect Albania” and “Investment for citizens, not oligarchs!”

They are part of the “Flamingos of Frankfurt,” the Hesse branch of the major flamingo protests in Albania. Most of the participants belong to the Albanian diaspora. More than 11,000 Albanians live in Hesse alone.

These diaspora protest groups exist across Europe. In London, Berlin and Vienna, other groups of “flamingos” are also protesting at the same time, connecting via video calls displayed on a screen.

From Frankfurt to Tirana

For around four months, the “Flamingos of Frankfurt” have gathered every week to protest. In addition, together with other groups of “flamingos,” they organize trips to Albania to support the major protests there.

One of them is 25-year-old Laura Pohumi. She has lived in Germany for six years and is one of the co-organizers of the protests in Frankfurt.

“I have many friends, both women and men, who are out protesting every day and who will not stop. That makes me very proud,” she explains during the rally. “We simply want our voice, as Albanians around the world, to be heard.”

The biggest wave of protests in decades

The heart of the protests remains the Albanian capital, Tirana. For around four months, people there have been taking to the streets every day to protest against their government. At certain times, tens of thousands of people have taken part in these protests.

Everything began in May, in part of a beach in Zvërnec, in southwestern Albania. Luxury resorts are reportedly set to be built there and on the nearby island of Sazan. According to media reports, the costs are estimated at around four billion euros.

Some of the planned resorts would be located in the middle of a protected natural area where, among other species, flamingos live. That is where the movement gets its name: the flamingo protests. Some even refer to it as a “Flamingo Revolution.”

Who does Albania belong to?

Initially launched as an environmental protest, the flamingo protests have now become one of the largest anti-government movements Albania has ever seen.

“It is no longer just about flamingos, a protected natural area or a luxury resort,” explains Andreas Bachmann, head of ARD’s Southeast Europe studio. “It is about the question: Who does Albania belong to: its citizens or investors with close ties to the political elite?”

Construction project involving a well-known figure

The fact that this project has such great potential for political conflict may also be linked to a well-known investor who may have precisely those ties to the political elite: Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of U.S. President Donald Trump.

Together with his wife, Ivanka Trump, who has publicly expressed support for the project, Kushner is at the center of the criticism.

According to the AFP news agency, an investment company linked to him has been granted “strategic investor” status by the Albanian authorities. This means, for example, faster approval procedures for construction projects.

Albanians fear the “sale” of their country

Many Albanians feel that their government is not acting in the interests of the population and is interested only in personal enrichment, protester Laura Pohumi says.

“The people working for this government do not want us to be a country governed by rules. They simply want to make a lot of money, regardless of where it comes from.”

Criticism of Prime Minister Edi Rama and the country’s political leadership is not new. In a sense, demonstrators complain that their country is being sold off. That is why the central slogan of the protests is: “Albania is not for sale.”

The protests do not appear to be ending

There is currently no sign of an end to the flamingo protests. According to ARD correspondent Bachmann, the Albanian government is determined to implement this project and, in the future, other projects as well: “Edi Rama sees major international investments, so to speak, as his modernization program for Albania.”

He wants to show that Albania is open to major investors and that he will not halt every project simply because of protests.

The demonstrators appear determined. In Frankfurt, Laura Pohumi gives this answer when asked how long this can continue: “We will stop only when Edi Rama resigns as prime minister.”

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