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Thousands of Albanians rallied in the capital for a fourth consecutive evening Thursday, demanding the cancellation of a coastal tourism development linked to Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of U.S. President Donald Trump, and calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama over his government's handling of the $1.2 billion project.
Demonstrators carried banners reading "Edi Rama resign" and held images depicting the socialist prime minister handing keys to Ivanka Trump, Kushner's wife.
The protests, which have grown in size and intensity since the weekend, reflect deepening public anger over a development that critics say prioritizes foreign capital over environmental law and citizen rights.
The project, led by Kushner and Ivanka Trump through Kushner's investment firm Affinity Partners, envisions a luxury resort complex in the Vjosa-Narta protected coastal area on Albania's southern Adriatic shore, one of the country's most ecologically sensitive zones.
The plan also calls for transforming Sazan, a former communist-era secret military base, into an upscale tourist destination. The site spans wetlands and coastal habitats that environmental groups say support flamingos, bird migration routes, sea turtle nesting sites and marine wildlife.
Outrage sharpened in recent days after video footage circulated online showing preparatory construction work and bulldozers operating on the beach, and after a man was assaulted by private security guards near the protected area. With 22 percent of Albania's territory designated as protected, protesters and conservation organizations argue that the legislative changes enabling the project set a dangerous precedent.
Organizers and participants have pushed back against framing by Rama's government that characterizes the movement as opposition to foreign investment broadly. "We are for development, we are for transparency, we are against construction in protected areas," said Etleva Merko, one of the demonstrators.
Protesters are specifically demanding the repeal of the Strategic Investor Act, which fast-tracks approval for certain large-scale projects, and a reversal of amendments to the Protected Areas Act that opened conservation zones to hotel construction.
The protests have acquired added legal weight following a move by Albania's special prosecutor's office. On Tuesday, the body responsible for investigating corruption and organized crime confirmed it had opened an inquiry into the project, without disclosing further details.
The Kushner-linked Albania development is part of a broader Affinity Partners push into the western Balkans. Kushner unveiled the plans roughly two years ago, and the firm is also pursuing a project at the former Yugoslav Ministry of Defense headquarters in Belgrade, a site destroyed during the 1999 NATO bombing campaign that has similarly generated protests in Serbia.
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