It wasn’t the project so much as the thuggish treatment of a single opponent that has brought Albanians out onto the streets.
Many were already uneasy at the government’s backing for a luxury tourist development in a protected area of Albania’s coast, linked to the son-in-law of US President Donald Trump, two billionaire brothers from Qatar and a local business magnate.
But it was the assault of a single protester by private security guards at the planned construction site that has triggered days of protests in the capital, Tirana.
“I saw it live myself – the gentleman they dragged away,” said protester Akil Cala, who was livestreaming the protest with a drone. “That was the moment I completely lost trust. That’s when I felt we don’t have a state at all. Even if I had ever had a shred of faith, it collapsed right there.”
“Rama, resign!” the crowd chanted in reference to Prime Minister Edi Rama, applauded by car drivers stuck in traffic. At 10.30 p.m., hundreds of young people were still marching, having spent five hours standing in protest outside Rama’s office.
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