Thousands of protesters have gathered outside Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama's office in Tirana, demanding his resignation. What began as a protest over flamingos has now expanded to include concerns about schools, jobs, and living standards. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing BBC News.

The pink migratory birds became the symbol of Albania's nightly rallies because they flock to Narta Lagoon, a protected area near the coastal city of Vlora. A group of international investors – including US President Donald Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner – want to develop a luxury resort nearby, and the government has granted them "special investor" status.

There's no planning permission yet, and Rama's government says an environmental impact assessment has not even begun, but fencing and bulldozers have been seen on the site. Small-scale local protests about the potential environmental impact went national a month ago, when a video of private security guards beating up a protester spread on social media. The incident has been confirmed by the prime minister.

"I'm here for our schools, for our hospitals, for our infrastructure, for my family that's outside [Albania], and mostly for myself, because I want to stay in my country," said a young protester named Helena.

Rama and his Socialist Party have been in power for 13 years. Much has changed: Tirana's skyline has been transformed with towers designed by international architects, tourism has boomed, accounting for more than a fifth of GDP, and Albania has made significant progress towards EU membership. From a standing start in 2022, it is on course to complete accession negotiations by the end of next year. Of the six Western Balkan countries, only Montenegro is further ahead – and it has been in talks for a decade longer.

But prominent protester Fatos Lubonja, a writer and human rights activist who served 17 years in a forced labour camp under communist dictator Enver Hoxha, alleges the current government is propped up by "oligarchs, organised crime, the media and corrupt internationals," and the building boom is little more than money laundering.

"We want to push justice to investigate. If you see all these skyscrapers, it comes out that this is a plan by organised crime, plus oligarchs, plus functionaries of the state," he said.

Rama characterises the protests as a sign of a healthy, democratic society. However, several of his closest political allies, including his former deputy and the mayor of Tirana, have come under investigation by Albania's anti-corruption prosecutors (SPAK).

"I've said it since day one: I want a justice that doesn't look left, doesn't look right, but looks straight. Justice that cannot be bought, cannot be pressured and cannot be remotely controlled," Rama said.

The youngest member of Albania's parliament, Majana Koceku, has quit Rama's party, saying her youth meant she "couldn't just stand there and clap the government and pretend like nothing is happening." She added that Rama is in a "huge crisis of legitimacy."

For now, the protesters are not going anywhere – and neither is Rama. Flamingos are likely to remain a familiar sight on the streets of Tirana.