A protest outside Albania's parliament escalated into clashes between demonstrators and police on July 27, as tensions rose over the government's handling of a $302mn US defence loan agreement that opposition parties have accused authorities of rushing through without proper scrutiny.

Albania has seen weeks of protests that erupted this year, initially sparked by a planned large-scale tourism development in a protected area of the coast. The development was linked to US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner.

The focus of the protests, dubbed the "Flamingo Revolution", later broadened with demonstrators demanding greater transparency and accountability from Prime Minister Edi Rama's government. Organisers argued that long-running Socialist Party dominance had weakened checks and balances, while government supporters rejected the accusations as politically motivated.

On July 27, groups of protesters moved through streets surrounding the parliament building, attempting to approach the legislature but were stopped by a heavy police cordon. Some demonstrators threw eggs at officers, while police used pepper spray at several points to disperse the crowd.

Protest organiser Arben Kola (interviewed by IntelliNews earlier in July) and several other demonstrators were detained by police, according to local media reports. Proceedings inside parliament continued under heightened security.

The demonstration followed violent incidents outside the parliament in Tirana on July 23, when Albanian police used water cannon and pepper spray against anti-government protesters. 

It took place as lawmakers debated the agreement with Washington, which the government says will finance military equipment purchases and strengthen Albania's role within Nato.

The parliamentary dispute intensified after Agron Shehaj, leader of the opposition Mundësia party, took a copy of the confidential agreement from the assembly chamber and left the hall with the document, according to broadcaster Top-Channel. The incident prompted criticism from Socialist Party parliamentary group leader Taulant Balla, who accused Shehaj of violating confidentiality rules.

"Agron Shehaj should be arrested in flagrante delicto for violating the law," Balla wrote on Facebook, adding that "when arguments are lacking, only the theft of classified documents and despair remain."

Balla also described the US agreement as "a historic agreement for Albania", saying it represented a sign of Washington's confidence in the country and its role in Euro-Atlantic security.

The agreement would provide Albania with 48 months to commit the funds and allow repayment over up to 12 years, Balla said. He added that military spending had risen from ALL24.1bn in 2020 to ALL69.2bn in 2026.

The opposition Democratic Party said it supported the agreement in principle but objected to the procedure used by the ruling Socialists to approve it. In a statement posted on his Facebook page, Democratic Party parliamentary leader Gazment Bardhi said lawmakers had not been given enough time to review the full text and accused the government of violating constitutional procedures.

The Democratic Party said it would not take part in the parliamentary session unless the agreement was examined according to normal legislative deadlines, although it pledged to support ratification once MPs had reviewed the document.