FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti
For more than 50 days, thousands of protesters have taken to the streets of Tirana every evening against a tourism project in a protected natural area. At the center of this movement are young Gen Zers, who say they are demanding a new Albania and more transparency from institutions...
“We are here. We are determined and we will not stop protesting!” This is the call that is repeated every evening in the center of Tirana, where thousands of people gather to march towards the government building.
For years, young people in Albania have been portrayed as a generation connected only to TikTok and social media. But protesters say the reality is different. They claim they are showing that they are a generation that can organize, speak up, and demand change.
Among them is Ardi, 26. He works in a bank in Tirana during the day and joins the protests in the evening. He accompanies us through the streets of the capital and then to the place where it all began: the Vjosë-Nartë National Park, one of Albania's most important natural areas.
A protest that started with flamingos
The protests began after opposition to a project to build a luxury resort on the coast, a project linked to the company backed by Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner.
The debate is related to a 2024 legal change, which allows the construction of strategic investments and luxury hotels even in protected areas, if they are declared of special interest.
In May, construction began near a wetland area considered an important habitat for flamingos. Environmental activists opposed the intervention, demanding protection of the ecosystem and transparency in development plans.
The situation escalated on May 30, when a protester clashed with private security forces near the construction site. Footage of the incident was widely shared on social media and became a symbol of a movement that protesters call the “Flamingo Revolution.”
From that day on, the protest expanded from a local opposition to a construction project to a broader revolt against the way of governance.
A generation that says it has broken taboos
On protest nights, Tirana's squares are filled with young people, students and citizens of all ages. "We have broken all the taboos. We have changed the way protests are viewed," says Ardi.
According to him, for many years there was a sense of fear and the belief that young people were not interested in politics. "Now people are coming out openly. They are not afraid to show their faces and say that things are not going well," he says.
Protesters are seen holding flags, placards and the flamingo symbol, which has become the hallmark of this movement. "Albania is not for sale!" is one of the most frequently heard chants during the marches.
For many young people, the protest is not just about a resort. It is about how they see the future of the country. “We don’t want any more empty promises. This is what we have seen for more than 30 years and we are tired of this model,” says one of the protesters.
Albania between development and accusations of corruption
At first glance, Albania appears to be experiencing a period of growth. Tourism has expanded significantly and the economy has had higher rates of development than some other countries in the region.
But despite this image, the country faces constant criticism for corruption and lack of transparency.
Prime Minister Edi Rama, who has been in power since 2013, has been at the center of political debate for years. The government says strategic investments are necessary for economic development and for Albania to move closer to European standards.
Rama has denied accusations of privatization of public spaces and stated that the project is not against the country's interest. "There is no privatization of public spaces. It is a lie!", he said, defending the idea that foreign investment can bring development and economic benefits.
But the protesters say they are not against the investments. They demand that development not be done at the expense of nature and that decision-making be transparent.
Narta Lagoon and the battle for nature
About two and a half hours from Tirana lies the Vjosa-Narta National Park, the place where the collision began. At the heart of this area lies the Narta Lagoon, one of the most important ecosystems in the Mediterranean.
More than 200 species of birds live there, including flamingos. Right next to this area is the area where the resort is planned to be built. Activists say that before the works started there was no infrastructure there and that the first interventions changed the terrain.
They claim that the installation of fences and the involvement of private security companies created tensions with protesters. Meanwhile, the lack of full publication of the project's financial and technical plans has added to the doubts and debates.
A movement that demands change
Although the fate of the resort remains unclear, for Ardi and many other young people one thing is certain: the protest will continue. “I will protest every day until Edi Rama resigns!” he says.
For this generation, what is happening is more than just opposition to a construction project. It is a moment where they feel they are changing the way an entire generation is viewed in society.
“We have always been told that we don’t protest and we don’t do anything. But what is happening is something that has never been seen before in the history of Albania,” says Ardi. And in the midst of this struggle, flamingos have gone from being a symbol of nature to a symbol of a generation that wants to be heard.
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