TIRANA, Albania (AP) — Albania’s rallies against a coastal development project have garnered global attention, both for their connection to Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and because of their curious mascot. The luxury project has two components: a small resort on the uninhabited island of Sazan and a coastal development in the nearby Narta Lagoon area, which is a wildlife reserve frequented by wetland species including flamingos.Every evening for weeks, protesters have marched by the thousands in the capital Tirana, holding up cut-outs of flamingos. The result has been a nickname for their fledgling movement: “The Flamingo Revolution.”Here are some of its members.
The artist who makes flamingosFatma Paja, 28, lives in Tirana and runs a creative studio with her two sisters. She’s part of a group of artists who created the cut-out flamingos that have become a fixture at the nightly rallies.“I have long used art as a means to express the injustices and dissatisfaction associated with everyday civilian life in Albania,” Paja told The Associated Press on Friday while painting a foam flamingo pink for that evening’s protest.Paja’s group also organizes drawing and coloring activities for children during the protest, so that willing parents are able to join.
