NYT: Protesters defy Rama, government faces turbulent days in Tirana

The protests that began as student dissatisfaction with the costs of education and living conditions have turned into a broader revolt against Edi Rama's government.

In an article published by the New York Times, it is written that thousands of citizens marched in Tirana, while the protests, accompanied by clashes with the police and arrests, have become a challenge for the Albanian prime minister.

The American newspaper also focuses on the billion-dollar tourism project linked to Jared Kushner, Donald Trump's son-in-law, which has sparked opposition for its impact on the environment.

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Thousands of people marched in Albania's capital on Saturday, where student protests against education costs have morphed into broader dissatisfaction with the government.

Two weeks ago, the student protest was joined by protest movements that had been opposing the rising cost of living and demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama for months. But the protests in Tirana quickly escalated into violence, before spreading to other cities in Albania.

On Saturday, protesters returned to Tirana's main boulevard and marched through the city. According to local media reports, the building housing the Ministry of Environment was set on fire after Molotov cocktails were thrown at its doors. Police tried to disperse the crowd with water cannons and tear gas.

Instead of dispersing, the protesters changed direction and headed towards the headquarters of the ruling Socialist Party, near Skanderbeg Square, in central Tirana. There, they clashed with riot police officers guarding the building.

According to officials, 283 people have been arrested across the country and 363 others have been prosecuted since the protests began this month.

The students have vowed to continue their protests and have rejected the prime minister's invitation for dialogue. For his part, Rama has refused to resign, claiming that the students' legitimate concerns have been overshadowed by his political opponents.

Why are the students protesting?
The protests began on October 13, in support of long-running peaceful demonstrations against a luxury construction project linked to Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of US President Donald Trump.

"After more than 130 days of peaceful national protests, we, as students, wanted to show that we have many more reasons to protest ," said Emir Lecini, a member of the student group that helped launch the movement.

"Our education system is unacceptable, the cost of living is high, and students are not treated with dignity," he said.

Prime Minister Rama, who has been in office for 13 years and has been part of the Albanian government, intermittently, since 1998, has become the main target of the anger of protesters, who are demanding his resignation.

“I am protesting because I want Albania to be a country that is not governed as a dictatorship,” said Redjan Shkëmbi, 22, a recent university graduate who initially joined the demonstrations against the Kushner-linked project.

As the protests in Albania expanded, he began to see them as part of broader student-led movements in France, Spain, and other countries.

"We feel connected to the youth protests we are seeing across Europe," he said.

How has the government responded?
Refusing to resign, Rama has declared that the students' legitimate demands for change have been overshadowed by groups that, according to him, aim to hinder Albania's plans to join the European Union, one of the main objectives of his administration.

On social media, he has invited students to dialogue and posted videos of empty chairs. He has also called on them to distance themselves from groups that, according to him, are inciting violence.

"Peaceful protest is a democratic value," Rama said in a video published on Facebook on Saturday.

"Violence during a protest is a social evil and a criminal challenge to the state, the law and public safety. It cannot be tolerated or justified ," the prime minister said.

Last week, in a video recorded at a looted store, Rama also announced the creation of a new online platform where businesses damaged by the unrest can apply for compensation.

Footage of police using force against student protesters has also sparked public outrage.

Last week, the State Police suspended two officers who were filmed pushing a student. Local media reported that the student suffered a fractured spine during the incident.

The police announced that they had subsequently suspended other officers for excessive use of force.

How is the Trump family involved?
The discontent in Albania initially focused on a proposed luxury development project linked to Jared Kushner, his wife Ivanka Trump, and investors from the Persian Gulf.

The coastal project, which is expected to cost more than $4 billion, was approved shortly after Trump began his second presidential term. The project's developers promoted it as a major investment in tourism.

But environmental organizations in Albania opposed the construction near the village of Zvërnec and the island of Sazan, which is largely uninhabited.

The protests began after a video circulated online showing private security guards forcibly removing, on May 30, a man who had joined dozens of residents and environmental activists on a beach in southern Albania.

This area is part of the territory where Kushner and his business partners intend to build the proposed hotel and resort.

Dubbed the "Flamingo Revolution," in reference to the abundance of birds in the area, the protests have until recently been largely peaceful, resembling an all-night carnival in Tirana.

Last month, Rama declared that the project had been suspended while the government assessed the impact it could have on the surrounding environment.

According to the Prime Minister, whether or not the construction of this luxury project will proceed will depend on the results of the environmental assessment.