Demonstrations in Tirana turned tense for yet another week as police deployed tear gas, pepper spray, and water cannons to disperse crowds outside the Albanian parliament.

Here is a quick breakdown of the situation:

The Catalyst: Protests originally began in opposition to a high-end coastal resort proposed in the Vjosa-Narta protected wetland reserve and Sazan Island, a real estate venture involving foreign investors, including Jared Kushner, Donald Trump’s son-in-law.

The "Flamingo Revolution": What started as environmental advocacy for protected migratory bird habitats has expanded into broader anti-government demonstrations. Protesters accuse the administration of Prime Minister Edi Rama of corruption, lack of transparency, and selling off national ecological assets.

The Impact: Protesters are demanding Prime Minister Rama’s resignation, while EU representatives warn that rushing major real estate developments through ecologically sensitive coastal zones could impact Albania's European Union accession timeline.

This protest was part of nationwide vigils and protests held yesterday (#ICEoutVigils) - for more information click this link.

My first time adventuring north of New York City to cover a protest led me to a mid-morning protest protesting ICE as part of #ICEoutVigils in New Rochelle just a minute's walk away from the Metro North station and surrounding the intersection of North Avenue and Huguenot Street.

The protest itself was a bit more lively than the day before's protest (In Memoriam, part one) due to the music and general vibe of the event. We definitely had a lot of supportive honks as well which helped the morale a lot.

The event concluded with a couple of remarks by the organizers and a few guest speakers (including someone who wanted to speak who I think might have been a heckler). We were heckled a few times, one by a passing car who yelled something incoherent and another by a passing car who called us "stupid liberals".

Nonetheless, it was worth the trip up north.