Albania's Rama uses culture to artwash Israel's genocide and growing repression

In May 2026, residents of Zvernec, near Vlora, woke to find a coastline they had long accessed freely enclosed by barbed wire. When one of them was dragged away by masked private security guards in front of Albanian police, who stood by without intervening, images of the incident spread quickly, sparking public anger . Protests have since spread across Albania and its diaspora, with demonstrations in Tirana continuing for more than four months.