Protesters tear down fences at luxury development site in Albania
Quick Look
- Around 200 protesters tore down fences at a luxury development site in Albania on Saturday, expressing anger over construction in environmentally sensitive areas and on confiscated land.
- Villagers from Rrjoll protested a project near sandy beaches and pine forests, demanding compensation for seized land.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
Protests have been ongoing for weeks against a planned luxury resort near Vlora, known for its flamingos and turtle nesting sites. This incident involves villagers protesting on their confiscated land.
Some 200 protesters on Saturday tore down metal and razor wire fences surrounding a luxury development site on Albania's Adriatic coast, in another sign of growing anger against construction in environmentally sensitive areas.
Albanians have been protesting for weeks against a planned luxury resort backed by a company linked to Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of U.S. President Donald Trump, near Vlora, which is famed for its flamingos and a turtle nesting site.
On Saturday, villagers from Rrjoll, located in an area of sandy beaches and pine forests in northwestern Albania, protested against another project, saying it was being built on their confiscated land.
They waved Albanian national flags and shouted "Revolution" as they tore down the fences. Some scuffles with police broke out but the police did not stop them from removing the fencing.
"The protests will not stop until the residents of the village of Rrjoll are compensated. We are 200 families whose land has been seized," said Zeke Nikolle Shullani, 56, one of the landowners who have been protesting for several months.
An Albanian company has been developing a five-star luxury tourist resort on the site and the project was granted "special status investor" by the Albanian government.
"What is happening in this country is madness," said Nikolin Markpalaj, 60, another local landowner. "We asked the investors to come and consult with the people but they refused. They think they can take all this wealth without blood or anything else that might happen here?"
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
Protests will continue until landowners are compensated.
Likely · Within weeks
Open Questions
- Will the landowners be compensated?
- Will the protests continue and escalate?
- What is the specific company linked to Jared Kushner?
