Thousands of Albanians demand prime minister’s resignation

A man carries a large home-made puppet of a pink flamingo, flying above his head in a crowd of people protesting.
July 5, 2026

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Thousands of Albanians demand prime minister’s resignation

There’s no planning permission yet and Rama’s government says an environmental impact assessment has not even begun, but fencing and bulldozers have been seen on the site.

Small-scale local protests about the potential environmental impact went national a month ago, when a video of private security guards beating up a protester spread on social media. The incident has been confirmed by the prime minister.

Anger has now spread, bringing in wider concerns about the way Albania is developing – and how it is governed.

“I’m here for our schools,” a young protester called Helena tells the BBC.

“I’m here for our hospitals, I’m here for our infrastructure, I’m here for my family that’s outside [Albania], and wanted to be here. And for all of that, I’m mostly here for myself, because I want to stay in my country, and I don’t want to leave.”

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