Tirana, Albania, witnessed a massive demonstration on Saturday as protesters gathered for the 35th consecutive night to demand the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama. The demonstrators are calling for the temporary replacement of the current government, sweeping constitutional reforms, and an end to widespread corruption. While independent verification of the crowd size is unavailable, media reports indicated that tens of thousands of people marched along the capital’s main boulevard toward Skanderbeg Square.
What began as a localized movement against a luxury coastal resort development project—linked to Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of U.S. President Donald Trump—has transformed into a broader anti-government campaign. Protesters chanted slogans such as “New Albania” and “Edi Rama, resign.” The demonstration was rich in symbolism; participants erected a large bust of the Prime Minister, which was subsequently toppled by a rope. This act mirrored the historic February 1991 toppling of the statue of communist dictator Enver Hoxha. Additionally, because the protest coincided with the Prime Minister’s 62nd birthday, some attendees brought cement-made “birthday cakes” as a critique of his building projects, while others sang an ironic “happy birthday” song.
The movement, often referred to as the “pink flamingo revolution,” saw many protesters carrying pink flamingo balloons to symbolize the wildlife threatened by the controversial resort development. Following approximately two hours of marching, a large segment of the crowd moved toward a local police station to demand the release of individuals arrested during a separate protest near parliament on Thursday. Tensions escalated as protesters shattered the windows of the police station, prompting law enforcement to deploy water cannons to disperse the gathering.
