Thousands of Albanians protested in the capital Tirana against a tourism complex planned by a company tied to Jared Kushner, son-in-law of U.S. President Donald Trump. The project involves building hotels on the uninhabited Sazan Island and in the protected Vjosa-Narta coastal wetland, a habitat for flamingos, seals, and sea turtles that nest in the southern community of Zvernec.
On June 2, protesters carried banners reading “cancel the project” and “Albania is not for sale,” demanding the government block the resort, which has raised concerns over environmental damage and corruption. The previous day, the Special Anti-Corruption and Organized Crime Prosecutor’s Office (SPAK) announced it had opened an investigation into the funds used to purchase land rights and sell them to investors.
Wednesday’s protest followed a gathering in Zvernec on Saturday, where dozens of people, including environmental activists, opposed the installation of barbed-wire fences blocking beach access. Private security guards attacked and injured some protesters, leading authorities to suspend several police officers and revoke the licenses of two private security companies.
There has been no confirmation that the fenced-off land was purchased by Kushner’s investment firm Affinity Partners. Kushner first presented plans for development projects in Albania two years ago. The plans include transforming Sazan — formerly a secret communist military base — into a luxury tourism destination valued at an estimated 1.4 billion euros ($1.2 billion). Luxury hotels are also planned in Zvernec.
In January, about 40 environmental organizations called for a halt to the resort plans, citing biodiversity threats. Protesters gathered outside the office of Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama on Tuesday evening, waving inflatable flamingos and signs reading “country not for sale” and “I don’t want Albania to be like Dubai.”
“We want all construction to stop and heavy machinery removed from the protected area,” said Joni Vorpsi, an ecologist with PPNEA-BirdLife Albania. “This will be a new city with about 10,000 rooms, and it will completely destroy that wild area.”
Rama invited protesters to select a delegation of about 20 people to discuss potential solutions, but they declined. Rama publicly defended the project on Tuesday. “It is very important that we remain welcoming, fair, and in no case be labeled a country hostile to investors,” he said in a statement shared with Reuters. “There is no chance for this investment to stop while I am here.”
Kushner’s plans for Albania are part of a broader investment portfolio that includes a former military headquarters in the Serbian capital Belgrade. Last year, he abandoned a project in Serbia after protests.
