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

[meganl@mas.to]

21st night of anti-corruption protests in Tirana.

Formally incorporating many diaspora Albanians who arrived in Tirana today to join in.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YX4awxIRLEk #Albania #Corruption #Balkans #Europe #EU #FlamingoRevolution #Democracy

[meganl@mas.to]

They spent the night in front of the Prime Minister's Office, police demand the protesters leave

"The main protest in Tirana starts at 6pm every night (so those who work day jobs can attend).

This hardy group tried to set up overnight outside the prime minister's office with chairs and patio umbrellas. The police didn't like that."

The auto-translate is bad. What they're chanting is "Rama (the PM's surname) resign!"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPCrU1S0Qao #Albania #Corruption #Balkans #Europe #EU #FlamingoRevolution #Democracy

[meganl@mas.to]

Protestë historike para Kryeministrisë. Dita e 22-të e revoltës për dorëheqjen e Edi Ramës

22nd day/night of protests. Usually a big group gathers by 6pm, but it looks like they're talking with folks who are still demonstrating (after an overnight presence) in front of the PM's building.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GG6Ci1xqfY #Albania #Corruption #Balkans #Europe #EU #FlamingoRevolution #Democracy

[meganl@mas.to]

Albania’s Street Revolt Turns (Party) Political

"The protest, now in its 21st consecutive day, has become openly political. It is no longer mainly about the disputed Zvërnec project, nor only about the lack of transparency surrounding so-called strategic investment projects. Zvërnec was the match that lit a much larger fire.

That fire had been building for years: over bad governance, corruption, arrogance, institutional deafness, the concentration of power in one man’s hands and the personalization of authority. For many protesters, Albania no longer resembles a functioning parliamentary democracy. As one local analyst put it, the country has come to look more like a sultanate, where one person controls and directs almost everything."

https://www.tiranatimes.com/albanias-street-revolt-turns-political/

#Albania #Corruption #Balkans #Europe #EU #FlamingoRevolution #Democracy

[accordionbruce@mastodon.social]

@meganL
Imagining what it would take to make that happen over here…

See Minneapolis… etc

It’s happening bit by bit

[meganl@mas.to]

Revolta në Kakome: Rrëzohet rrethimi që prej dy dekadash pengonte hyrjen në plazh

Machine translation: Kakome riots: The fence that had blocked access to the beach for two decades has collapsed

Kakome is between Sazan Island (where Kusher development deal is) and the Greek Island of Corfu, further down along the Albanian coast.

"The civic uprising in Kakome has brought down the fence that had been preventing citizens from freely accessing the beach for nearly 20 years. This development has been seen by many participants as a symbol of the strength of civic unity. According to them, citizens have understood that only united can they protect rights, property and the public interest, taking their destiny and that of the country into their own hands."

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

#Albania #Corruption #Balkans #Europe #FlamingoRevolution #Democracy

[meganl@mas.to]

Interview in Italian with an Albanian member of the diaspora (in Netherlands) who came back to support the protests. Diaspora Albanians came back before this weekend to protest, but there was an organized return of diaspora Albanians just this past Saturday.

He speaks of how the corruption and patronage keep Albanians poor, forcing better-educated anti-corruption Albanians to leave the country.

For decades, Albania's youth have had to emigrate to survive & to support their extended families.

There was no reckoning for the oligarchs under Hoxha. Many of the same people run things now under "democracy".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgoBwf8D-Rk #Albania #Corruption #Balkans #Europe #Democracy

[meganl@mas.to]

Carving Up the Adriatic: Why Are Albanians Protesting the Kushner Luxury Resort?

This is not from an Albanian commentator, but from someone who comes from the Balkans and does a good summary of Albanian and regional history that is important to understand to put the Flamingo Revolution into context.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1a92meECMvU #Albania #Corruption #Balkans #Europe #Democracy

[meganl@mas.to]

Interview in Italian with an Albanian who was in the diaspora and came back to live in Albania. He speaks of why many in the diaspora are afraid to come back, and of how corruption has gotten worse.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3358wzdhFSs #Albania #Corruption #Balkans #Europe #Democracy

[meganl@mas.to]

I was unable to post this yesterday, but here's the archive of the livecast of the 23rd day/night of protests in Tirana, the capital of Albania.

There are also protests in other Albanian cities. And also in cities abroad with significant numbers of Albanian diaspora.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMZoKWr84E4 #Albania #Corruption #Balkans #Europe #Democracy

[meganl@mas.to]

"For decades, migration from Albania was largely explained by poverty and the search for survival after the collapse of communism. Today, according to researcher Ilir Gëdeshi, the pattern has changed. Migration is increasingly selective and structural. It affects young people, educated people and skilled professionals in disproportionate numbers.

The reasons are no longer only economic. Young Albanians are leaving because they do not see a future at home. The study points to dissatisfaction with corruption, lack of meritocracy, weak trust in institutions, poor services, inadequate infrastructure and the feeling that success depends more on political connections than on talent or work."

https://www.tiranatimes.com/albanias-missing-generation-a-country-losing-its-future-before-2050/ #Albania #Corruption #Balkans #Europe #Democracy

[meganl@mas.to]

Brief piece, mostly focusing on a member of the Albanian diaspora who's been living in France but came back for the protest.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMz7zIsYSbo #Albania #Corruption #Balkans #Europe #Democracy

[meganl@mas.to]

How Ivanka Trump’s plans for a lux resort sparked The Flamingo Revolution

This is a better report than I expected from a major US network (my expectations are low these days).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uNSlGOKqrR8
#Albania #Corruption #Balkans #Europe #Democracy

[meganl@mas.to]

The 24th straight day of protests in Tirana, Albania, the capital.

There are also protests in other cities in Albania and at Albanian embassies in countries with significant Albanian diaspora.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WkgHVFYvkN0 #Albania #Corruption #Balkans #Europe #Democracy #Resistance

[meganl@mas.to]

The 25th day/night of protests in Tirana, Albania. There's a thunderstorm right now and protestors are still out there meeting up.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYS-Ln89w-c #Albania #Corruption #Balkans #Europe #Democracy #Resistance

[meganl@mas.to]

Albania’s flamingo protests: Will protests stop Trump’s family luxury resort plan? • FRANCE 24

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKKolg5RaVw #Albania #Corruption #Balkans #Europe #Democracy #Resistance #USpol

[meganl@mas.to]

The 26th day/night of anti-corruption protests in Tirana, Albania.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBmYNN147dI #Albania #Corruption #Balkans #Europe #Democracy #Resistance #FlamingoRevolution

[selvari21106@mastodon.social]

@meganL Has Albania been spared or are these people going out in absolutely roasting temperatures?

[meganl@mas.to]

@Selvari21106 It's hot in Albania, but not as hot as it currently is in France. Yesterday they were out in a heavy thunderstorm still protesting. They're quite committed and inspiring.

#FlamingoRevolution

[selvari21106@mastodon.social]

@meganL respect to that