While the protests stemmed from environmental issues related to the development project, they have morphed into more general political demonstrations voicing opposition against the government and Socialist Prime Minister Edi Rama.
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Thousands of protesters have taken to the streets in recent weeks, blowing whistles and holding cardboard cut-outs of flamingos — one of the protected migratory bird species whose habitats could be threatened by the proposed resort on the Adriatic coast.
The government says the development at Narta Lagoon would be transformational for the former communist nation as it seeks to enter the high-end tourism market and pushes for European Union membership. But the venture, spanning an abandoned island and a nearby stretch of seafront, has drawn opposition from environmental campaigners and critics of Rama’s government.
On Thursday, several hundred protesters gathered outside the Albanian parliament in Tirana, demanding the prime minister’s resignation and chanting “Rama has to go to jail.”
Some hurled rocks, eggs and plastic bottles at police, and used part of a metal barrier to smash the windows of a police car. Police used tear gas, pepper spray and a water cannon to disperse the crowd.
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“The protesters want their voice to be heard inside (the parliament), as the prime minister for so many days has not heard them and has ignored them,” said protester Agustela Thoma. “But enough is enough.”
Interior Minister Besfort Lamallari condemned “the acts of vandalism and criminal violence” against the police.
“Police officers are public servants, citizens of the Republic, and family members just like everyone else. They serve the law, public order, and the safety of every citizen, without distinction. An attack against them is an attack against the state,” the minister added.
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By HAMERALDI AGOLLI and ZANA CIMILI, who reported from Pristina, Kosovo.
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