Albanian police entered the courtyard of the Orthodox Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ in Tirana on Tuesday, chas...

Albanian police entered the courtyard of the Orthodox Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ in Tirana on Tuesday, chasing and violently arresting protesters who had fled inside during the latest wave of anti-government demonstrations. The Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Albania condemned the incident outright, saying the sacred character of the site had been violated and that places of worship must not become arenas of conflict. The crackdown comes as Albania's "Flamingo Revolution" enters its eighth month. Protests erupted in February 2026 over a $4 billion luxury tourism development at the Narta lagoon near Vlorë and Sazan island, a project tied to Jared Kushner. Demonstrations spread to Tirana after a video surfaced on May 30, and escalated sharply in October when students joined in. Prime Minister Edi Rama has refused to step down, dismissing the unrest as a "hybrid war." The Union of University Employees of Albania also voiced alarm over police use of force against student demonstrators, adding institutional weight to the backlash against the Rama government's response. Greek MEP Nikolas Farantouris of PASOK submitted a written question to the European Commission from Strasbourg on Wednesday, pointing out that Albania is an EU candidate country. He called the police operation an "unacceptable violation of religious asylum" and called on the Commission to formally assess Albanian authorities' conduct. He also directly urged the Greek government to take a public stand against what he described as Albanian state violence. The question puts the European Commission on record: either it addresses the incident with Tirana or it stays silent while an EU candidate country uses force inside a house of worship. No response from the Commission had been issued as of Wednesday. #Albania #FlamingoRevolution #EuropeanUnion