Political party Nisma Thurje has gathered 10,000 signatures for a petition to have public beaches throughout Albania.
Endri Shabani from Nisma Thurje said that Albanians are restricted from entering their public beaches while emphasising that it is time for MPs to show whose side they’re on – the citizens’ side or on the side of a small minority of business people.
“10,000 Albanians have signed the petition for all beaches to become public. From Saranda to Shkoder, Albanian beaches are surrounded by boundaries and entry fees. Albanians are eager to go to their shores in their own country. But, as an Albanian, you get excluded from your land; you are trampled in your own home. Every Albanian MP today has the historic chance to show that they are here, to make the voice of citizens heard, and to protect the less fortunate, – said Shabani.
The petition comes after the issues of for-rent sunbeds taking over beaches came to a head this summer. Citizens complained of not being able to relax on the beach without being harassed to pay, and there were cases where tourists and locals were forced to pay or leave, with some vendors becoming aggressive.
