Protest in Albania against work on luxury development linked to Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner

[meganl@mas.to]

Expanding their tactics to more than just street protest, some have been using review sites to leave bad reviews for oligarch-connected businesses and supporters of corruption.

The Director of Police is holding a press conference to address this, if you can believe it.

EDIT: I can see now it was a press conference in general, but a News 24 reporter says he referred to bad business reviews and the reporter asks for a followup. He replies. I switched out the link to the entire live conference, which lacks captions, to the portion with the bit on business reviews, where auto-captioning & translation is available.

The State Police and Cybercrime Directorate are treating bad reviews like a cyberattack, basically.

https://youtu.be/pZqqWVs4hbA?si=AROOX6u0BbO5XeOS&t=74

#Albania #USpol #Corruption #Balkans #Europe #FlamingoRevolution

[meganl@mas.to]

Machine translation: "Artists protest: We don't want a singer accused of antisemitism in Tirana. "

Artistët protestojnë: Nuk duam në Tiranë një këngëtar të akuzuar për antisemitizëm

Artists protested in front of the Ministry of Culture because the Albanian gov't contribute millions of euros of taxpayer money to hosting a Kanye West concert.

News report on protest: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OVya0uVBlzE

Spring 2026 article on Ministry of Culture contribution to hosting Kanye: https://balkaninsight.com/2026/04/30/albanian-pm-announces-kanye-west-concert-despite-antisemitism-concerns/bi/

#Corruption #Balkans #Europe #Democracy #Resistance #FlamingoRevolution #Environment

[pg1958@mastodon.sdf.org]

@meganL now that's how you protest! Take notes Americans...

[meganl@mas.to]

Machine translated:
The 40 days challenging power / The revolt against the government doesn't stop, citizens again today

40 ditët që sfidojnë pushtetin/ Revolta kundër qeverisë nuk ndalet, qytetarët sërish sot

40 days and 40 nights, didn't protest against corruption reign, children?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvMY6Ld2xUE

#Albania #USpol #Corruption #Balkans #Europe #FlamingoRevolution

[meganl@mas.to]

Albania's Flamingo Revolution: Protests Against Kushner-Trump Luxury Resort Could Bring Down Gov't

Two important Albanian guests on, so this coverage is better than most Anglophone news media coverage I've seen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsfbdT3ZPZw

#Albania #USpol #Corruption #Balkans #Europe #FlamingoRevolution

[meganl@mas.to]

Why This Jared Kushner-Backed Luxury Resort is Sparking Protests

Yeah, NYT sucks, but they're doing a good job presenting satellite photo comparison, photos taken on the ground by Albanian environmentalists, and the reporter's own experience to give the lie to what Albanian PM Edi Rama has said about nothing happening until thorough environmental impact standards had been met, etc.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9_76Up0UZ8

#Albania #USpol #Corruption #Balkans #Europe #FlamingoRevolution #USpol #Environment

[meganl@mas.to]

"Corruption and money laundering in post-communist Albania"

https://doi.org/10.2478/ejels-2026-0015

#Albania #Corruption #Balkans #Europe #FlamingoRevolution

[meganl@mas.to]

Day 41 of anti-corruption protest in Tirana, Albania.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7XC5pgRraYM #Albania #USpol #Corruption #Balkans #Europe #FlamingoRevolution #Environment

[meganl@mas.to]

Back to basics, the English language Wikipedia page on the Flamingo Revolution, which is in its 42nd day today.

Quite a few Albanians who write English well have participated in writing and editing this entry.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flamingo_Revolution #Albania #USpol #Corruption #Balkans #Europe #FlamingoRevolution #Environment

[meganl@mas.to]

Day 42 of anti-corruption protests in Tirana, Albania

Dita e 42-të e protestës qytetare/ Kërkojnë dorëheqjen e Ramës

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jdjSVV0YWo

#Albania #USpol #Corruption #Balkans #Europe #FlamingoRevolution #Environment

[meganl@mas.to]

Repeating copaganda is a bad look for TLDR. Cops showed up in force that day after weeks of peaceful protest & were planning on instigating something. They moved a water cannon in in the morning before protestors were even there. Cops assaulted protestors after some few protestors threw eggs *at MP's cars*. Mention injured cops, but they neglect to mention the cops assaulted protestors both on video and reportedly inside police vans & police stations. One protestor had his nose broken, another person arrested had epilepsy and had several seizures under the holding conditions, 2 people who were arrested weren't even protestors. They were held for days and some are under house arrest still. Furthermore, the cops are now "investigating" those who left bad reviews at businesses that aligned with the corrupt oligarchs - they're investigating leaving reviews as "cyber terrorism". Western European media do a better job. These brave people are depending on it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LE92ePNvrBA #Albania

[meganl@mas.to]

Why so many Albanians hate the Trump-Kushner resort deal so much | DW News

Only towards the end do they get to the meat of it - Kushner's development was the straw that broke the camel's back. There were a LOT of straws on that back already.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZJMPjUYvzw

#Albania #USpol #Corruption #Balkans #Europe #FlamingoRevolution #Environment

[meganl@mas.to]

Day 43 of anti-corruption protests in Tirana, Albania

Sot protesta e 43-të kundër qeverisë, shqiptarët kërkojnë dorëheqjen e Ramës: Ju erdhi fundi

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSuUS8uWvfY

#Albania #Corruption #Balkans #Europe #FlamingoRevolution #Environment

[meganl@mas.to]

Machine translated: "Protestor: If you're going to investigate the "review" left by the people, first strip Balluku of her immunity."

Protestuesja: Nëse do të hetosh “review” që lë populli, hiq më parë imunitetin e Ballukut

To give an example of what the system is like here, some protestors started writing bad reviews of businesses whose owners are oligarchs or supportive of them.

The chief of police said the cybercriminal unit would be investigating them and they've been treating people who recently left bad reviews as "cyber terrorists".

The protestor contrasted that with the way the Deputy PM (Belinda Balluku) who abused their power was treated.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbL5i-XNQpM #Albania #Corruption #Balkans #Europe #FlamingoRevolution #Environment

[meganl@mas.to]

#Albania #Albanien #Corruption #FlamingoRevolution

https://mastodon.derstandard.at/@derStandard/116907442347882713

[meganl@mas.to]

Day 44 of anti-corruption protests in Tirana, Albania

Live cast as of time of my posting it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DMGX-TU5P8 #Albania #USpol #Corruption #Balkans #Europe #FlamingoRevolution #Environment

[selvari21106@mastodon.social]

@meganL Just to make sure I have this straight: The protests started over Kushner's hotel and the environmental concerns around it, but have since become a more general anti-corruption movement against Albania's PM, right?

[meganl@mas.to]

Day 45 of anti-corruption protest in Tirana, Albania

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TKpzRL-zdcI #Albania #USpol #Corruption #Balkans #Europe #FlamingoRevolution #Environment

[meganl@mas.to]

"Albania's 'Flamingo Revolution': What's behind the protests?"

June 27, 2026 article (pre-dates the cop violence in Tirana)

https://www.dw.com/en/albanias-flamingo-revolution-whats-behind-the-protests/a-77710991 #Albania #USpol #Corruption #Balkans #Europe #FlamingoRevolution #Environment

[meganl@mas.to]

Protests / Marta Kos to Rama: Repeal the amendments to the law on protected areas

Protestat/ Marta Kos- Ramës: Shfuqizoni ndryshimet e ligjit për zonat e mbrojtura

In Brussels, in a meeting on Albania's integration process into the EU, the Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos said that Albania must repeal the 2024 changes to their law on protected areas (the changes that were made in a corrupt way to expedite Kushner, et al's development of protected public lands).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sj5WGmR1QgE

#Albania #USpol #Corruption #Balkans #Europe #FlamingoRevolution #Environment