TIRANA, Nov 10 /ATA/ – Protests in Albania were initially driven by public anger over a controversial project linked to Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of U.S. President Donald Trump, Prime Minister Edi Rama said on Tuesday.
Speaking at the Paris Peace Forum during a discussion on European Union enlargement and the future of younger generations, Rama was asked how protests in Albania differed from demonstrations in other European countries, including Italy and France.
The government head distinguished between the large-scale demonstrations held in early June and subsequent incidents of violence, saying the initial protests had brought together people from different walks of life to voice their concerns over the project involving Kushner.
“The distinction I would make is between what happened initially, during the large demonstrations in early June, when a considerable number of people from all walks of life came out to express their concerns over the famous – or infamous, you name it – project linked to Jared Kushner, Donald Trump’s son-in-law. It acted as a kind of red flag that fuelled public anger in our city,” Rama said.
He said the protests later escalated into violence after most demonstrators had left, stressing that such incidents did not reflect the nature of the initial demonstrations.
“Later, only a very small number of protesters remained, and they escalated the demonstrations into violence. This is, of course, unacceptable and has nothing to do with what the protests were initially about,” he said.
Turning to the broader situation in Europe, Rama described it as complex, highlighting the influence of social media on young people, particularly the way they access information and are exposed to online content.
“I would describe it as a clash between the real world and the world of social media, where many young people get their information, but also disinformation, or a mixture of both. They also find inspiration there to escalate situations in ways that are unacceptable in a democratic society,” he said.
“The situation is complex across Europe,” Rama added.
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