So it is a long story and if this doesn't belong here feel free to remove it but thought it was the appropriate place. 

Right now in Albania, an ongoing protest has just marked its 40th consecutive day. I wanted to raise some awareness about what is happening.

**The Gifting of a Protected National Park to the Trump Family** The main catalyst for the movement was the government essentially gifting Sazan Island (our only island) and part of the coastal area opposite it to the Trump family for a luxury tourist resort. Beyond the sheer illegality of how this deal was handled, the main problem is that this land is a protected national park. By law, any modification to this ecosystem, especially replacing green spaces with concrete, is strictly prohibited.

**The Corruption and the "Investors"** As the movement grew, deeper issues surfaced. Much of the surrounding private land had been bought up by drug traffickers and businessmen with deep ties to both organized crime and government officials. After years of this happening right under our noses, the public finally reached a boiling point. We started a massive movement against the corruption ruining our land.

**The Media Blackout and Propaganda** Our main antagonist right now is the local media. It is completely controlled by the ruling party and these corrupt investors. After building fortunes off public funds, these media outlets are returning the favor to the government by actively diminishing our movement. They are publicly accusing the protesters of "destroying the economy" and claiming the protests are driving tourists away.

**The "Cyber Attack" and Police Retaliation** Recently, internal messages from the ruling party leaked. They ordered government employees to create fake accounts to flood social media with positive comments about the government and claim that protesting is bad for the country.

In response, citizens fought back online. People started using both real and fake accounts to leave 1-star reviews on businesses known to be owned by these drug traffickers or so called bussinesmens and used for money laundering.

Instead of going after the money laundering, our state police just said that these bad Google reviews are a **"cybernetic attack."** They have officially announced an investigation to track down anyone leaving negative reviews, threatening that citizens who will do so will face criminal charges and penal prosecution.

We are living in a reality where the government hands over national parks to billionaires, protects money laundering operations, and uses the police to arrest citizens for leaving bad reviews online. Please help share this and get the word out.

40 Days of Protests in Albania: Corruption, Protected National Parks, and the Police Criminalizing Google Reviews