Albanian police use teargas and water cannon on protesters opposing a luxury resort linked to Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner.
TIRANA: Albanian police used tear gas and water cannon against protesters outside parliament on Thursday morning, as opposition to a tourism project linked to the Trump family grips the nation.
Since late May, protests have been held against the planned construction of a luxury hotel linked to Trump’s daughter Ivanka and her husband Jared Kushner in a nature reserve on the country’s coast.
In recent weeks, several gatherings have also seen protesters clash with police outside parliament in the capital, with demonstrators attempting to pelt lawmakers with eggs.
On Thursday, police maintained a heavy presence from early morning and used water cannon and tear gas as protesters attempted to push through security cordons to get closer to parliament, AFP journalists at the scene reported.
The latest demonstration came as parliament was expected on Thursday to approve a 4 million euro ($4.6 million) subsidy for a Kanye West concert held in Tirana earlier this month.
Prime Minister Edi Rama pledged the funding, saying it was necessary to prevent the concert from being cancelled.
The decision further angered protesters, who had already been on the streets for more than a month over the resort project, which has become a flashpoint for concerns about perceived corruption and a lack of government transparency.
The luxury tourist complex, planned in a protected area and on an uninhabited island nearby, has attracted huge crowds and international attention over environmental concerns and its links to the Trump family.
No official headcounts have been released for the nightly protests, but AFP journalists at the demonstrations estimate that crowds numbered in the thousands until at least mid-July.
