Albanian protesters rally against Kushner-backed resort in protected area
Thousands of protesters have marched through Albania’s capital, Tirana, in one of the largest rallies yet against a luxury resort project linked to United States
Thousands of protesters have marched through Albania’s capital, Tirana, in one of the largest rallies yet against a luxury resort project linked to United States President Donald Trump that has become a lightning rod for anger over alleged corruption. Since late May, demonstrators have gathered every evening to oppose the planned construction of a hotel complex tied to Trump’s daughter Ivanka and her husband Jared Kushner, on a protected stretch of the Balkan country’s coast.
Saturday’s march drew what appeared to be one of the biggest crowds since the movement began, with many members of the Albanian diaspora travelling home to join. Waving Albanian and US flags, protesters released red balloons and chanted “Albania is not for sale,” a slogan projected onto the facade of the prime minister’s office. “We are not against the country’s development; we are against the arrogance and lack of transparency surrounding projects that affect our lives,” said Alma, a science student.
The Kushner-backed resort, along with another planned development on nearby Sazan Island, would sit near key breeding grounds for migratory birds in the Vjosa-Narta protected area, including flocks of flamingos. Environmental concerns have fused with wider anger at Prime Minister Edi Rama, whom protesters accuse of opaque deals along the coast. Many now say they will remain on the streets until he resigns.
Rama, who has stayed defiant, told a party meeting that he would not step down and argued that the controversy is driven more by Kushner’s name and the “shadow of Trump” than by the project itself.
The BriefWire