Protesters take part in a rally in Tirana, Saturday, June 20, 2026, against a coastal development project in western Albania linked to Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, which is facing growing opposition from environmental advocates and has triggered daily protests in the Albanian capital. [AP Photo/Hameraldi Agolli]
Tens of thousands of Albanians held a new protest late Saturday against a planned luxury resort linked with US President Donald Trump’s family on an environmentally sensitive stretch of the country’s Adriatic coast.
Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama has strongly defended the project, near Zvernec in the southern Vlora region, saying it will bring billions of euros in investments to the country.
But environmentalists say it will disrupt wildlife in a pristine area that’s important to birds and turtles, and local villagers say their land has been seized for the project. Frequent protests have been held against the proposed hotel and villa complex, with participants calling for Rama to resign.
Albanian media said more than 100,000 people took part on Saturday night’s protest, including members of the diaspora from Greece and other European countries, and Albanians from neighboring Kosovo.
