I was on East 79th Street this Saturday afternoon, in front of the Albanian Consulate, in a crowd I would put at close to 2,000 people. Families, students, grandparents — many had driven in from neighboring states. Flags everywhere, homemade signs, even inflatable flamingos.
We were there for Vjosa-Narta — a place many of us can picture with our eyes closed: the protected lagoon and wetland on Albania’s southern coast, and the island of Sazan offshore. It is home to flamingos, sea turtles, and one of the last free-flowing rivers left in Europe. A place worth protecting.
We were not alone. The same day, Albanians gathered in Vlorë, Tirana, Milan, Florence, London, and Toronto. People are calling it the Flamingo Revolution, after the birds that nest in the lagoon — a symbol that crossed an ocean and showed up on cardboard signs in Manhattan.
A community that showed up
I left inspired. On short notice, thousands of us came together — with energy, passion, and a willingness to stand up for the things that matter: our homeland and our future. It reminded me that the Albanian spirit is very much alive. This gathering mattered.
What’s worth protecting
If you carry Albania in your family, Vjosa-Narta is the kind of place we want our kids to see for themselves one day — flamingos on the water, a coast worth being proud of. Saturday was about keeping it that way.
Where NAR stands
Let me be clear about where the National Albanian Registry stands, because we are careful about this. We do not take sides in Albanian party politics. We are here for two things: the right of Albanians, wherever we live, to gather and be heard peacefully, and the protection of Albania’s natural heritage. Saturday was both.
The next gathering in New York is Sunday, June 14, from 3:00 to 6:00 PM, again outside the Albanian Consulate at 320 East 79th Street. If you were there this weekend, bring someone with you.