TIRANA, July 23 (Reuters) – Albanian police used water cannons and tear gas on Thursday to disperse protesters who threw eggs and bottles at officers, in the latest flare-up of demonstrations triggered by Jared Kushner’s plans to build a multi-billion-dollar resort.
The unrest outside parliament was a rare clash in typically peaceful protests that have been held for nearly two months in Tirana against what activists say is corruption and a threat to wildlife from development projects on the Adriatic Sea coast.
Protesters call their movement the “flamingo revolution” after the birds which congregate in a protected wetland where U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Kushner wants to build luxury hotels.
Police in full riot gear and carrying shields used water cannon against hundreds of protesters who rattled fences cordoning off the parliament building.
“Thank you Trump for uniting us,” the protesters chanted.
The Kushner resort and other development projects are strongly backed by Prime Minister Edi Rama, who says the protests are artificial and ginned up by his political opponents.
“I am here to push the government out,” said a protester who identified himself as Pirro. “Rama has to go, he is a thief.”
“We will continue with protests to put pressure on them,” said Noel Leshja, 27. “If there is no pressure, they will continue to sell Albania.”
Reuters reported this month that Albanian prosecutors suspect a Miami-based businessman who sold land for the resort to developers working with Kushner had forged the title deeds. The businessman, also accused of laundering funds from cocaine smugglers, denies the accusations, and the developers say they believe the land transactions are valid.
Kushner has touted the resort plan on pristine coast he says he and his wife Ivanka Trump spotted from a yacht, but has refrained from commenting publicly since the protests broke out. The developers have confirmed Kushner is an investor but have not spelled out his role or how much he has invested.
Earlier this year, violent clashes broke out as protesters demanded the resignation of Rama’s deputy, Belinda Balluku, over alleged corruption. Balluku was fired.
(Reporting by Fatos BytyciWriting by Daria Sito-SucicEditing by Peter Graff)
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