- In Tirana, a 35-year-old man was arrested: the suspect is accused of assaulting Edi Rama, according to the police, during a protest rally.
- Protests, according to AP, began after a project was approved to allow the construction of a landfill in a protected area near the city of Tirana.
- After the protests, the suspect was arrested on suspicion of assaulting a police officer; the police claim that the man was involved in the incident.
At the request of Albania’s Tirana prosecutor’s office, a 35-year-old man was remanded in custody, accused of assaulting Edi Rama, according to a statement by the prosecutors, AP reports.
According to AP, video footage showed a man with a crowd of people who had thrown objects at the police officers, and then attacked Rama. The video also shows that the man was later detained.
According to AP, the suspect was detained after a man in the crowd threw a bottle at Rama. The police said that the suspect was then arrested.
AP also describes symbolic elements of the demonstration: the crowd chanted “Happy birthday” to Rama, while the man was being attacked. Some participants continued to chant even after the incident.
Police said that two men were detained after the protests, and one of them was accused of assaulting Rama. According to AP, the police said that the man was later released.
DW reports that Rama had previously been the target of attacks, and that the 35-year-old man was detained on suspicion of assaulting Rama. DW also says that the protest was linked to a plan to develop the Vjose-Narta area.
DW also says that the project plans were drawn up by Jared Kushner’s company, Affinity Partners. DW adds that the project was approved in 2024, and that the company’s public relations materials referred to the area as “flamingo revolution.”
DW notes that it could not obtain details from Edi Rama’s office, but that the interim DW investigation indicates that the project was linked to the Vjose-Narta area. DW also says that Rama, according to DW, refused to comment on the accusations.