Albanians Protest Jared Kushner-Linked Tourism Project

Thousands of Albanians have protested in the capital Tirana against a coastal tourism complex planned by a company linked to Jared Kushner, son-in-law of the United States President Donald Trump.

The project includes the construction of hotels on the uninhabited island of Sazan and in the protected coastal area of Vjosa-Narta, a wetland home to flamingos, seals and sea turtle nesting sites in the southern community of Zvernec.

Chanting “cancel the project” and holding “Albania is not for sale” banners, the protesters on Wednesday demanded the government block the resort project, which has raised concerns over environmental damage and corruption.

On Tuesday, the special prosecutor’s office to combat corruption and organised crime (SPAK) said it had opened an investigation into the funds used for acquiring the land titles and their sale to investors.

Wednesday’s demonstration followed an initial gathering in Zvernec on Saturday, where dozens of people, including environmental activists, protested over the installation of barbed wire blocking access to the beach.

Private security guards attacked and injured several protesters, leading authorities to suspend several police officers and revoke the licences of two private security companies.

It has not been confirmed that the land surrounded by barbed wire has been bought by Kushner’s investment firm, Affinity Partners. Kushner presented a plan for development projects in Albania two years ago.

According to that plan, Kushner intended to transform Sazan – formerly a secret communist military base – into a luxury tourist destination, a development worth an estimated 1.4 billion euros ($1.2bn). Luxury hotels were also planned in Zvernec.

In January, about 40 environmental organisations called for the suspension of the resort plans, citing threats to biodiversity.

Protesters gathered outside the office of Albania’s socialist Prime Minister Edi Rama on Tuesday evening, holding inflatable flamingos and signs that read “nation is not for sale” and “I don’t want Albania like Dubai”.

“We want all construction to halt and heavy machines out of the protected area,” said Joni Vorpsi, an ecologist with the PPNEA-BirdLife Albania organisation. “This would be a new city with around 10,000 rooms and it will completely destroy that wild region.”

Rama had invited the protesters to choose a delegation of about 20 people to discuss potential solutions, but the protesters rejected the proposal.

Rama publicly defended the project on Tuesday.

“It is very important that we remain welcoming, that we remain fair, and that under no circumstances do we receive the stigma of being a country where investors are met with hostility,” he said in a statement shared with the Reuters news agency. “There is absolutely no chance that the investment will stop as long as I am here.”