Albanians Protest for 35th Night       07/06 06:13

   

   TIRANA, Albania (AP) -- A massive demonstration was held for the 35th night 
in a row in Albania's capital on Saturday, with protesters calling for the 
resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama, the temporary replacement of his 
government, constitutional reform and an end to corruption.

   Media images showed tens of thousands of people marching along Tirana's main 
boulevard toward Skanderbeg Square. There has been no independent verification 
of the number of protesters.

   The nightly demonstrations began over a luxury coastal resort development 
project in a protected natural area linked to U.S. President Donald Trump's 
son-in-law, Jared Kushner, but have since evolved into broader anti-government 
and anti-corruption protests. The protesters were chanting "New Albania" and 
"Edi Rama, resign."

   The march was heavy on symbolism. A tall bust of Rama was erected and later 
toppled with the help of a rope, a gesture reminiscent of the February 1991 
toppling of the statue of longtime communist dictator Enver Hoxha, an event 
commemorated on Feb. 20 each year. Since Saturday's protest coincided with 
Rama's 62nd birthday, some protesters carried "birthday cakes" made of cement, 
an allusion to the building projects. There was also an ironic "happy birthday" 
song for Rama.

   Some protesters carried pink flamingo balloons, a reference to the birds 
supposedly threatened by the resort construction project. The demonstrations 
have long been dubbed "the pink flamingo revolution."

   After protesting for about two hours, a large group marched to a police 
station, demanding the release of people arrested during Thursday's protest 
near parliament.

   Protesters broke the windows of the police station while police responded 
with a water cannon to disperse the crowd.