TIRANA, Albania – For the 35th consecutive night, thousands of Albanians gathered in the capital city of Tirana on Saturday, demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama, the formation of a transitional government of technicians, and constitutional reforms to combat corruption.
The nightly demonstrations, which have continued for over a month, began with a focus on a luxury coastal resort development project linked to Jared Kushner, son-in-law of U.S. President Donald Trump. The project is situated in a protected natural area, raising environmental concerns.
Protesters marched along Tirana's main boulevard towards Skanderbeg Square, chanting slogans such as "New Albania" and "Edi Rama, resign." While media images depicted tens of thousands of participants, independent verification of the numbers was not available.
The demonstrations have evolved into broader anti-government and anti-corruption movements. Saturday's march included symbolic gestures, such as the toppling of a bust of Prime Minister Rama, a move reminiscent of the 1991 toppling of the statue of communist dictator Enver Hoxha. Some protesters carried cement "birthday cakes" for Rama, whose 62nd birthday coincided with the protest, accompanied by an ironic "happy birthday" song. Pink flamingo balloons, a nod to the "pink flamingo revolution" nickname for the protests, were also visible.
Following the main demonstration, a contingent of protesters marched to a police station to advocate for the release of individuals arrested during a protest near parliament two days prior. The situation escalated when protesters broke windows at the police station, prompting authorities to deploy a water cannon to disperse the crowd.