This Tuesday at 6:00 PM, representatives of civil society, activists, and citizens gathered once again in Skanderbeg Square, marking the tenth day of protests over the issue of protected areas.
From there, they continued to call for the government’s resignation, chanting slogans such as “Albania belongs to Albanians” and “Rama to jail, Berisha to jail.”
The protesters then marched along Dëshmorët e Kombit Boulevard before stopping in front of the Prime Minister’s Office, where they continued their demonstration.
At the same time, similar protests were held in several other cities across the country, including Korçë, Vlorë, and Elbasan.
The protest movement, which initially began as a reaction against the tourism development project in the Pishë Poro and Sazan area, has now entered its tenth day. The movement emerged following opposition to the planned investment in a protected area and later expanded into a broader civic mobilization.
Throughout the demonstrations, participants have articulated five main demands: the resignation of the government, the repeal of the legal status and framework for strategic investors, the cancellation of the Mountains Package, the repeal of amendments to the Law on Protected Areas, and the repeal of amendments to the Law on Cultural Heritage. Demonstrations in Tirana and other cities have also featured calls against the entire political class.
Organizers have announced that the protests will continue in the coming days, stating that their demands remain unchanged.
Meanwhile, the European Commission has stated that it is closely monitoring developments in the Pishë Poro–Nartë area and has conveyed its concerns to the Ministry of Environment regarding potential shortcomings of the project. Spokesperson Guillaume Mercier announced that work on the project has been suspended and that a comprehensive environmental impact assessment is expected to be conducted in consultation with civil society. He also noted that the project is currently under investigation by SPAK.
On the other hand, Prime Minister Edi Rama stated during a press conference with European journalists that the protests were triggered by an act of violence committed by a security employee against a citizen, for which immediate measures were taken. He emphasized that there is no approved project to be cancelled, but rather an expression of interest and an ongoing consultation process, describing the investment as an important opportunity for Albania’s economic and tourism development.
In addition, SPAK has launched its own investigation into the matter. The institution has frozen the bank accounts of the landowners and imposed a seizure order on approximately $195 million transferred to them by brothers from Qatar.
Meanwhile, prosecutors are also reviewing a number of court decisions related to property ownership titles, while legal disputes over land ownership claims are reported to remain unresolved.
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