ZeroFox Physical Security Intelligence Daily Brief - April 22, 2024

ZeroFox Physical Security Intelligence Daily Brief - April 7, 2024

ZeroFox physical security experts collect, curate, and analyze information derived from open and proprietary sources for comprehensive context of the circumstances surrounding global events. Here is today’s daily roundup of major developments.

Brief Highlights

• Major Unrests in Tirana, Albania, as Demonstrators Set on Fire a Part of the City’s Leadership Building
• Armenia and Azerbaijan Agree to Delimitate Border
• Landless Rural Workers Movement (MST) in Brazil Organizes Nationwide Farmland Occupations Throughout Month of April

Major Unrests in Tirana, Albania, as Demonstrators Set on Fire a Part of the City’s Leadership Building

On April 19, 2024, Albanian protesters set fire to the city hall during a demonstration against Tirana Mayor Erjon Veliaj and his team, who are currently on trial for corruption. The opposition, which organized the protests in Albania's capital, demanded the mayor's resignation. During the protests, Belind Kellici, the political coordinator for the Democratic Party, expressed their demands in a speech. The demonstrations escalated into violence at several points. According to reports from Albanian media, the unrest began with a smoke bomb thrown in front of the city administration building. Subsequently, protesters breached the police cordon. During the chaos, an individual from the crowd hurled a Molotov cocktail, setting the entrance door of the Tirana municipality building ablaze. Police intervened to prevent the protesters from storming the building. Prior to these events, protesters had thrown red paint, diapers, and apples at the building.

Armenia and Azerbaijan Agree to Delimitate Border

On April 19, Armenia and Azerbaijan agreed to delimitate their entire shared border in a crucial step towards a possible peace deal between the two countries. As part of the delimitation, Armenia agreed to officials cede four remote villages - Baganis, Voskepar, Kirantz and Berkaber - to Azerbaijan. The return of these four villages has been a key Azerbaijani demand since the end of the second Nagorno-Karabakh War. This development both reduces the likelihood of renewed tensions, and raises the possibility for a potential peace deal between the two countries.

Landless Rural Workers Movement (MST) in Brazil Organizes Nationwide Farmland Occupations Throughout Month of April

On April 15, the Landless Rural Workers Movement or Movimento Trabalhadores Rurais Sem Terra (MST) detailed their intentions to carry out mass land expropriations during the month of April and progress to date. Per publication by MST, they have occupied 24 new locations in the areas of Sergipe, Pernambuco, São Paulo, Goiás, Rio Grande do Norte, Paraná, Pará, Distrito Federal, Ceará, Rio de Janeiro and Bahia. In the past, MST's land occupation actions have triggered violent responses, and the Brazilian opposition has frequently accused current Brazilian president Lula's administration of being over permissive with MST.