Citizens continued their protests this Friday along the “Dëshmorët e Kombit” Boulevard, marking the 13th consecutive day of demonstrations, with the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama remaining their main demand.
At 6:00 p.m., as on previous days, protesters initially gathered at Skanderbeg Square before marching toward the government building. Citizens and activists delivered speeches outside the Prime Minister’s Office.
The protest is expected to continue with marches through Tirana’s main streets, which organizers say will last for several hours, until midnight.
The demonstrations, which began as a reaction against the planned tourism project in the Pishë Poro and Sazan area, have now entered their thirteenth day. The movement started in opposition to the investment planned in the protected area and later evolved into a broader civic mobilization.
Throughout the protests, participants have put forward five main demands: the resignation of the government, the repeal of the legal framework governing strategic investors, the cancellation of the Mountains Package, the repeal of amendments to the Protected Areas Law, and the repeal of amendments to the Cultural Heritage Law. Demonstrations held in Tirana and other cities have also featured calls against the entire political establishment.
Organizers have announced that the protests will continue in the coming days, stating that their demands remain unchanged.
Meanwhile, the European Commission has said 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 stated that construction works have been suspended and that a comprehensive environmental impact assessment is expected to be carried out in consultation with civil society.
In parallel, the Special Anti-Corruption Structure (SPAK) has launched an investigation into the matter. Authorities have frozen the bank accounts of the landowners and imposed a seizure on $195 million that had been transferred to them by brothers from Qatar.
The prosecution is also reviewing a number of court decisions related to land ownership titles, while legal disputes over claims to portions of the land reportedly remain unresolved.
