For the 16th consecutive Saturday, Albanian activists living in Lombardy gathered in central Milan carrying red-and-black flags and banners bearing the slogan “Albania Is Not for Sale.”
The protest is part of the so-called “Flamingo Revolution,” a movement launched in Albania on May 23 against the construction of a luxury resort in a protected natural area, a project linked to Jared Kushner, Donald Trump’s son-in-law.
“Environmental protection was the spark that ignited a broader mobilization,” says Aleks Tom Vulaj, an Albanian resident of Legnano who has lived in Italy for 25 years.
According to him, Albanians are tired of the economic situation and of politicians who, in his view, think only about their own interests. Activists are also considering organizing a march from the Albanian Consulate on Via San Martino towards the Duomo.
Around 100,000 Albanians live in Lombardy. Among the activists is Suela Mehdini, who says the protest aims to raise awareness in Italy and the European Union about the situation in Albania.
Mehdini accuses the government of restricting freedom of expression, changing laws and transferring agricultural land to foreign companies. The activists are calling for the government to be removed and for free elections to be held.
“We started in Milan, but we will take the protest to smaller cities as well,” says Eneida Muzhaqi, who studied sociology in the United States before moving to Italy. According to her, the support of Italians is essential for the movement.
Il Giorno
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