Daily protests have erupted in Albania’s capital, Tirana, dubbed the "flamingo revolution," as environmental advocates oppose a luxury development project linked to Jared Kushner, Donald Trump's son-in-law.
The rallies, which have drawn participants from across the country, are primarily targeting longtime Socialist Prime Minister Edi Rama.
The Albanian government champions the development on the Adriatic coast as a transformative initiative for the nation, aiming to position it in the high-end tourism market and bolster its bid for European Union membership.
However, the venture, which encompasses an abandoned island and a nearby stretch of seafront, has ignited fierce opposition from environmental campaigners and critics of Rama’s administration.
Thousands of protesters have taken to the streets in recent weeks, blowing whistles and brandishing cardboard cut-outs of flamingos, symbolizing the protected migratory bird species whose habitats could be threatened by the proposed resort.
The luxury project comprises two main components: a coastal development within the Narta Lagoon area, a designated wildlife reserve, and a smaller resort on the uninhabited island of Sazan, a former communist-era military base.
The planned complex of hotels, apartments, villas, and a marina is connected to Kushner and Trump’s daughter, Ivanka Trump.
An investment firm associated with Kushner has been granted special investor status by Albanian authorities.
Ivanka Trump recounted discovering the site during a vacation, telling U.S. podcaster David Senra, "We were on a friend’s boat, and we stopped for a swim. Effectively, that’s how we found it. We swam to the island. We went on a hike, barefoot all the way up to the top, and we were just captivated."
Albania boasts 280 miles of coastline that remained largely undeveloped during decades of stringent communist rule.
The proposed development is situated within a nature reserve and one of Albania’s most vital biodiversity areas, serving as a crucial stopover for migratory birds along the Adriatic coast. Protest groups express concerns that sections of this pristine coastline could be acquired by powerful investors.
Public anger intensified following a video that showed an activist being forcibly removed by a private security guard while demonstrating at the site.
Since late May, excavators and other heavy machinery have entered the biodiversity area, creating access routes, digging into the sand, clearing land among pine trees, and installing fencing.
Environmental organizations from Albania and across Europe have condemned the work, with one prominent local group asserting that long-protected habitats are being "irreversibly destroyed."
Prime Minister Rama has vowed not to "step back" from the development, defending his administration's environmental record.
He claims the protests are fueled by malicious cyber activists overseas and accuses Iran of targeting his government.
"There is a lot of manipulation. There are a lot of half-truths that become bigger and bigger lies by the hour," Rama told The Associated Press.
These allegations, which Rama has made for several years, followed a dispute with Albania after it provided refuge to members of an Iranian opposition group in 2022. Iran has denied the claims.
The protests against the project have gained momentum, with supporters in Albanian communities in neighboring Greece and other European countries also organizing rallies.
EU officials have stated they are monitoring the development to ensure its compliance with the terms of Albania's bid to join the 27-nation bloc. Albania’s Special Prosecution Office Against Corruption and Organized Crime has confirmed it has opened an investigation related to the project but has released few details.
While the government asserts the land earmarked for the project is privately owned, competing claims have emerged questioning the privatization process.
Rama has reiterated that the venture aligns with Albania’s ambition to become a major global tourism destination.
"Albania should not be a country that fears an extraordinary project like this one, where exceptional partners have come together to invest 4 billion euros ($4.6 billion)," Rama said, adding, "There is no chance for this investment to stop as long as I am here."
However, the demise of a similar project in Serbia offers a cautionary tale. Last November, Serbia's Parliament passed a special law to facilitate the construction of a luxury complex in Belgrade, to be financed by an investment company linked to Kushner.
The following month, Serbia's prosecutor for organized crime charged four individuals, including a government minister, with abuse of office and falsifying documents to pave the way for the development.
Kushner subsequently withdrew from the planned multimillion-dollar investment, which would have replaced a sprawling, bombed-out military complex, a designated heritage zone whose legal protection was lifted by the officials now on trial.
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