On August 20, a delegation of the Global Sumud Flotilla will depart from the port of Brindisi, bound for the island of Sazan in Albania, to join the mobilization against the project to transform the island and coast near Zvërnec into a luxury tourist center, linked to Jared Kushner, son-in-law of US President Donald Trump.
The mission is the result of cooperation between the Global Sumud Flotilla and Albanian collaborators in the Mediterranean, “Free Palestine.” The stated objective is to support what in Albania has been dubbed the “Flamingo Revolution,” a movement that has been opposing tourist projects in protected areas of the southern coast for weeks.
The protests, which began in late May and later spread to Tirana and other cities, have brought thousands of people onto the streets and turned the pink flamingo into a symbol of environmental protection and opposition to the project, which envisages the construction of luxury resorts in an area of great natural importance.
Edi Rama's government defends the investment and argues that development will be in line with environmental protection. Critics, on the other hand, denounce the risks to ecosystems, the lack of transparency and legal changes that have paved the way for the construction of luxury tourist structures in protected areas. The European Union has also called on Tirana to respect environmental standards as part of the EU integration process.
The departure from Brindisi also has a strong symbolic value. The organizers link it to the 35th anniversary of the arrival in Italy of the ship "Vlora", which on August 8, 1991 transported over 20 thousand Albanians to Bari. According to the organizers, the flotilla will also include children of the survivors of that journey, who intend to return to Albania as a sign of solidarity with the protest.
For the “Global Sumud Flotilla”, the initiative in Albania represents an expansion of its mobilizations beyond Palestine, creating a network of solidarity between environmental causes, migrant rights and opposition to large real estate projects. According to the statement, the boats that will be used were recovered after being damaged and abandoned by the Israeli army during missions directed towards Gaza.
The Global Sumud Flotilla is an international maritime initiative led by civil society. It was formed as the largest humanitarian convoy of its kind in history to break the Israeli naval blockade of the Gaza Strip and deliver emergency aid. On several occasions, its activists were mistreated by Israeli forces. In one case, Albanian Baki Goxhaj was also on board one of the ships. ©LAPSI.al
