Albania Protests Over Trump-Kushner Resort Project Demand Government Change
8 reported2 unconfirmed
According to a WIRED report, a proposed multibillion-dollar resort on Albania’s coastline by Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner has sparked a mass uprising. Hundreds of thousands of protesters have filled the capital Tirana, demanding the end of the government. The protests, called the Flamingo Revolution, began after a development in the Zvërnec area was announced on May 23, triggering local opposition over environmental concerns. Demonstrators are calling for the prime minister’s resignation and the repeal of four pieces of legislation. The government defends the project as essential for economic modernization, while critics allege a lack of transparency and environmental damage. Albania’s anti-corruption agency, SPAK, has announced probes into several investments.
What’s reported
Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner unveiled a real estate venture for a proposed multibillion-dollar resort on Albania’s coastline.
Hundreds of thousands of protesters have filled Tirana’s streets, demanding the end of the government.
The protests began on May 23 after word of a development in the Zvërnec area, affiliated with Kushner’s company Affinity Partners.
A fence erected around a development site triggered a clash between locals and private security guards, which was filmed and circulated online.
The protest movement calls itself the Flamingo Revolution, named after the bird species inhabiting the Narta Lagoon.
Protesters demand the prime minister’s resignation and repeal of four pieces of legislation: the “Mountain Package,” strategic investment laws, and amendments to the Law on Protected Areas and the Law on Cultural Heritage.
Albania’s Special Structure Against Corruption and Organized Crime (SPAK) has announced probes into several investments in Tirana and along the coast.
The government defends the development strategy as essential for transforming Albania into a high-end Mediterranean tourism destination.
Open questions
The exact role of the Kastrati Group in the development is still unclear.
The ultimate owners of the development company, Zvërnec South Adriatic Development, have not been revealed.
Key figures
Ivanka Trump, real estate venture co-owner
Jared Kushner, real estate venture co-owner, affiliated with Affinity Partners
Entenela Ndrevataj, activist quoted in the article
Melitjan Nezaj, wildlife biologist quoted in the article
Doriana Musai, urban planner quoted in the article
Edi Rama, Prime Minister of Albania
Sources: Wired
