Thousands of Albanians filled the streets of Tirana on Wednesday in the largest protest yet against a luxury resort planned by Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of U.S. President Donald Trump, turning a coastal development dispute into a wider challenge to Prime Minister Edi Rama's government.
Protesters Say Albania Is Not For Sale
Protesters held signs reading "Albania is not for sale" and chanted "New Albania" outside Rama's office, Reuters reported on Wednesday. The crowd stretched about half a mile down one of Tirana's main boulevards.
The project, expected to cost about 5 billion euros, or roughly $5.77 billion, has drawn anger because of its planned location near the ecologically sensitive Zvernec wetlands, home to flamingoes, seals and sea turtle nesting sites. Critics also say the project lacks transparency and gives foreign investors too much influence over protected Albanian land.
"The project in Zvernec is a project … with no transparency," protester Leand Lakrori told Reuters. "And this is the apotheosis of what has been happening in Albania for the last 35 years. So today, enough is enough."
