Albanian police used water cannons and tear gas on the 23rd of July to disperse protesters who threw eggs and bottles at officers, Reuters reported.
The clashes near the parliament building were one of the few times the largely peaceful protests turned violent. The protests in Tirana have been going on for two months, and activists say they are against corruption and environmental threats posed by plans by Jared Kushner, son-in-law of US President Donald Trump, to build a resort on the Adriatic coast. The protesters call their movement the flamingo revolution, referring to the birds that flock to wetlands that are planned to be drained to make way for luxury hotels.
Hundreds of protesters on the 23rd of July tore down fences surrounding the Albanian parliament building and chanted, “Thank you, Trump, for uniting us!” Police used water cannons to disperse the crowd.
Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama strongly supports Kushner’s resort plan and other development projects, and has said the protests were orchestrated by his political opponents. One protester, who called himself Pirro, said he had come to force the government to resign and that Rama, who is a thief, must also resign. Another protester said the protests would continue to put pressure on the government.
If there is no pressure, Albania will continue to be sold off.
Albanian prosecutors are charging a Miami-based businessman who sold the land to a developer linked to Kushner with forgery. He has also been accused of laundering money from cocaine trafficking, but he denies all charges. The developers have said they believe all land deals are valid.
Kushner has praised plans for a resort on the pristine coastline, which he and his wife have seen on a yacht. However, Kushner has refrained from commenting since the protests erupted. The developers have confirmed that Kushner is the investor, but have not commented further on his role in the project or the amount of money invested.
Violent clashes broke out earlier this year when protesters demanded the resignation of Rama’s deputy, Belinda Balluku, over corruption allegations. She was later removed from office.
Read also: Albanian Prime Minister: Resort construction to go ahead despite the Flamingo Revolution