Albanian police raid Orthodox Cathedral in Tirana during protests

Albanian police forces entered the courtyard of the Orthodox Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ in Tirana to pursue and arrest protesters seeking refuge during intense anti-government demonstrations. The incident occurred amidst the widespread protests known as the ‘Flamingo Revolution,’ which escalated in mid-May 2026 following opposition to large-scale luxury tourism investments.

The Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Albania condemned the raid, stating that the sacred character of the site was violated and emphasizing that places of worship should not become sites of conflict. Additionally, the Union of Albanian University Employees expressed concern regarding police violence against student protesters.

MEP Nikolaos Farantouris has submitted a written inquiry to the European Commission regarding the incident. He requested that the Commission evaluate the actions of the Albanian authorities in light of the country’s EU accession candidacy and clarify what measures will be taken to prevent future occurrences of violence within religious sites.