FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti
The "Flamingo Revolution" has attracted the attention of international media. The Italian daily Il Manifesto dedicates a report to the protests in Albania, analyzing their transformation from an environmental cause into a broad citizen mobilization against the government.
A large fiery red flag, adorned with a double-headed eagle, rises above Skanderbeg Square, bathed in the setting sun, as tens of thousands of Albanians pour into the streets of Tirana in response to the national call.
It all started with a video posted in May that went viral, showing a private security guard dragging an activist from the Vjosa-Nartë nature reserve in Zvërnec. The young man had opposed the installation of a fence, believed to be the first step in a tourism development project linked to the luxury resort that Jared Kushner, Donald Trump's son-in-law, wants to build in Zvërnec.
Today marks the thirty-fifth day of what has been called the "Flamingo Revolt." The location and time of the rally remain the same: " Meet at Opera Square at 7 p.m. and don't be late ," says activist Jurgen. He has lived in Tirana for more than ten years and has been taking to the streets every day, as everyone in the city has been doing since May. The sunset has the bitter taste of a revolution.
The square continues to fill with people from every corner of the country. This Saturday, the call was also answered from abroad: Albanians from the diaspora flocked from all over Europe: Italy, Greece, Hungary, Germany... Ironically, Prime Minister Edi Rama's birthday is being celebrated at the Prime Minister's Palace, and as a gift, the protesters are demanding his resignation.
" Rama resign ," the crowd chants, like a 'raging river of blood.' Flags stretch as far as the eye can see and placards are addressed to the protesters in Albanian and English, so that everyone can understand.
" We have survived here for years with the bare minimum that the government gives us ," emphasizes Jeta, a tired mother watching young people leave: " For years, I have felt lonely. I have seen so many people leave, while I dreamed of a united Albania full of young people, not a wounded and distant country that coexists with the nostalgia of parents who stay here and see their children leave, never to return ."
On the first day of the protests, she says she encountered him by chance: " That day, I was drawn to the light of youth, which drew me like a magnet, and from that moment on, I no longer feel lonely ."
The figures speak for themselves: " 700,000 people under 35 have moved abroad in the last 10 years and I am here today because I want them to see us. How can we build the future of our country if we keep leaving? " asks Jurgen and then argues: " Despite today's large turnout - according to the organizers, there were more than 50,000 protesters - many, especially the elderly, do not want to participate in the demonstrations because they believe it is pointless, because the system has been like this for too long. I believe in change and I wish that not only the prime minister, who is still mocking us today instead of listening to us, but also the entire parliament would resign ."
This is because corruption is widespread, the sale of national assets to large foreign companies is encouraged thanks to legislation designed to make concessions, currently being investigated by SPAK, opaque and difficult to trace.
The public healthcare system is of course free, but waiting times, especially outside major urban centers, remain biblical, while the average salary hovers around 700 euros per month.
" The main problem is the corrupt system of those working in the administration. These are people who have been stealing public money for decades, and that is why we need to start prosecuting those who admit to corruption. It is a cliché, especially for those who have never experienced a demonstration ," Jugen reasons, " to think that it is dangerous. We do not want violence ." As he marches in the procession, the activist says that politicians he considers hypocritical are also present today: " For example, I think Berisha's attempt to ride the wave of protests is ridiculous. His son owns half of Albania, we have not forgotten that ."
Environmentalist protests have highlighted discontent, and this new wave of unrest includes a range of themes, very similar to what happened in Serbia after the student uprising following the collapse of the bus station at Novi Sad station. / Adapted “Pamphlet” from “I l Manifesto ”
Note: The article refers to Saturday's national protest, while today the revolt enters its 37th day.
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