Thousands of Albanians gathered in Tirana on Thursday evening for the fourth consecutive day of protests against a coastal tourism complex allegedly tied to Jared Kushner, son-in-law of US President Donald Trump, and his wife Ivanka Trump.
Protesters demand action
Demonstrators held banners reading "Edi Rama resign" and others depicting Albania's socialist prime minister handing over keys to Ivanka Trump. The estimated $1.2 billion project, led by Kushner and Ivanka Trump, plans luxury hotels in the protected Vjosa-Narta area on the southern coast and aims to transform the island of Sazan, a former communist secret military base, into a glitzy tourist destination.
The protests have intensified after security guards assaulted a man near the protected area, and footage of preparatory construction work and bulldozers on the beach was released. Protesters demand the repeal of the Strategic Investor Act, which speeds up certain projects, and a reversal of changes to the Protected Areas Act that allow hotel complexes in conservation zones.
Voices from the protest
Human rights activist Luciana Kokaj, 31, said she owned property in northern Albania that a "major investor" tried to seize with forged titles. "But this is beyond my personal interest: it's about protecting Albania for our children," she told AFP. Fellow demonstrator Etleva Merko said, "We are not against development of Albania. We are for development, we are for transparency, we are against construction in protected areas."
Albania has 22 percent of its territory designated as protected areas. On Tuesday, the special prosecutor's office to combat corruption and organised crime announced an investigation into the project, without revealing details.
