Thousands of protesters have taken to the streets of Albania demanding Prime Minister Edi Rama’s resignation, with anger over a luxury resort project backed by US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner becoming one of the main reasons behind the unrest.
The protests, largely led by students, entered their fourth consecutive day on Friday, with demonstrators smashing windows, damaging traffic lights and clashing with riot police in the capital, Tirana.
According to Reuters, the demonstrations initially began over plans to develop parts of Albania’s coastline into a luxury tourist destination, which has faced legal challenges and opposition from local residents.
The protesters have also accused Rama’s government of corruption, rising education costs and ignoring their demands despite months of peaceful demonstrations.
“We’ve been protesting peacefully for 140 days, and nothing was heard,” a 19-year-old protester, identified only as Klea, told Reuters.
The situation turned violent earlier this week when protesters set fire to a government building and two banks, prompting police to respond with tear gas and water cannons.
Police detained 160 people following Thursday’s clashes, according to Euronews.
The demonstrations have since spread to several other cities, including Lezha, Elbasan and Korca.
Rama, who secured a fourth term last year, has refused to step down and accused unnamed foreign groups of encouraging the violence.
Kushner’s involvement has also drawn attention after villagers alleged that their land was wrongfully sold for the resort development.
However, Reuters reported finding no evidence of wrongdoing by Kushner, who was not directly involved in the villagers’ land dispute.
The unrest comes as Albania seeks to join the European Union by 2028.
