Albanian police use tear gas and pepper spray as Tirana protest turns violent

Albanian police clashed with protesters Thursday as an anti-government demonstration — part of protests triggered by plans for a luxury development linked to U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner — turned violent.

Police fired tear gas and pepper spray at protesters who were pelting them with rocks, eggs and other objects. Authorities said 12 police officers were injured and 18 protesters were detained.

The gathering was part of daily protests, dubbed the “ flamingo revolution,” that began more than a month ago in opposition to plans for a luxury coastal development project linked to Kushner.

While the protests stemmed from environmental issues related to the development project, they have morphed into more general political demonstrations voicing opposition against the government and Socialist Prime Minister Edi Rama

Thousands of protesters have taken to the streets in recent weeks, blowing whistles and holding cardboard cut-outs of flamingos — one of the protected migratory bird species whose habitats could be threatened by the proposed resort on the Adriatic coast.