TIRANA — Police in Tirana clashed with protesters and blocked them from reaching parliament late Tuesday. The demonstration occurred one day after the protests marked their 100th day.

Protesters challenged a police cordon in the center of Tirana and pelted officers in riot gear with eggs and tomatoes. Cars transporting lawmakers to the parliament building were confronted by crowds and hit with plastic water bottles before police intervened. Several protesters were detained, but it was not immediately clear whether any arrests had been made.

Demonstrators chanted "Arrest Rama!" during the clashes. The protests aim to stop a coastal development that would cause environmental damage and limit public access to the coast. The protests are dubbed the "flamingo revolution" due to signs showing a pink flamingo that could be harmed by the development.

The Flamingo Revolution has become the largest civic mobilization in Albania since the fall of communism, with daily protests continuing for over 100 days as of September 2026. The protests occur nightly in Tirana and have grown into a challenge to the Socialist government. Prime Minister Edi Rama supports the investment project, arguing it would help modernize Albania.

The Kushner-linked investment endeavor is valued at $1.4 billion. The development project is named the Blue Borgo resort and includes a proposal to build 10,000 luxury villas on the Zvernec peninsula. The Zvernec peninsula development site is located within the Vjosa Narta, an ecologically protected area featuring a river delta and lagoon.

In April 2026, Artur Shehu, a key landowner in the Zvërnec project, sold the disputed coastline to Albania Land Development, a company linked to Kushner-backed developers, according to internal documents obtained by Balkanweb.com. According to a 2026 report by the Albanian Environmental Protection Agency, over 10,000 accommodation units are planned for the Pishë Poro-Narta coastal development. Scientists and activists state that preliminary work has caused irreparable damage to a stretch of Albania’s coast, destroying nesting sites of birds and loggerhead turtles.

Why It Matters

The European Commission issued a veiled warning to the Albanian government over the planned project, urging authorities to 'act without delay' in order to avoid jeopardising the country’s bid to join the EU, which will require it to align with the bloc’s environmental rules. In July 2026, the European Commission issued a statement urging Albania to comply with EU environmental regulations regarding the Zvërnec project, citing concerns over its impact on protected species and natural habitats.

Timeline

On May 30, 2026, the first major violent clash between protesters and police occurred in Zvërnec, marking the beginning of sustained protests that later expanded to Tirana and other cities. Violence against protesters near the Zvërnec project site on 30 May 2026 triggered the sustained daily protest phase in Tirana. The protests began in late May. On June 30, 2026, protesters and police clashed near the parliament in Tirana, Albania, as part of the ongoing protests against a luxury development project linked to Jared Kushner. Six people were detained during the incident. During the 94th day of protests on August 23, 2026, protesters blocked the Prime Minister's Office and clashed with police, resulting in approximately 10 arrests and the use of water cannons to disperse the crowd. Demonstrators chanted "Arrest Rama!" during the clashes.

What's New

The 'Arrest Rama' slogan has been a consistent demand since the early stages of the Flamingo Revolution, with protesters calling for the prime minister's resignation as early as June 2026.