Kushner-backed Albania resort plan draws large protests over environmental concerns
10 reported2 unconfirmed
A $1.6 billion luxury resort project backed by Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, has sparked mass protests in Albania over fears it threatens an ecologically sensitive coastal area. Thousands of demonstrators, some carrying inflatable flamingos, have taken to the streets of Tirana, with clashes reported between protesters and police who used water cannons. The project, led by Kushner’s investment firm Affinity Partners, targets the protected Vjosa-Narta delta and the uninhabited island of Sazan, a former communist military base. Critics accuse Prime Minister Edi Rama of seeking favor with the White House by approving the project days before Trump took office last year. Rama has defended the plan, saying it will boost tourism and the economy, while environmentalists warn it could destroy critical habitats for migratory birds and the country’s only flamingo breeding ground. The protests escalated after heavy machinery arrived at one site on the Zvernec Peninsula in recent weeks.
What’s reported
The $1.6 billion project is backed by Jared Kushner’s investment firm Affinity Partners.
Protests in Tirana saw chants of “Albania is not for sale” and clashes with police using water cannons.
The project targets the protected Vjosa-Narta delta and the island of Sazan, which is 2.2 square miles.
Critics accuse Prime Minister Edi Rama of trying to gain favor with the White House by approving the project days before Trump took office last year.
The area is the country’s only breeding ground for flamingos and home to dolphins, sea turtles, and monk seals.
Heavy machinery arrived at one site on the Zvernec Peninsula in recent weeks, triggering protests.
Rama defended the project on Facebook, calling it an ambition to create the “most attractive destination of this side of the Mediterranean.”
Ivanka Trump promoted the project, calling it an “unbelievable, beautiful” private island.
White House press spokesperson Anna Kelly said Kushner is a “volunteer” and his private business activities are separate from the administration.
A similar Kushner-backed project in Belgrade, Serbia, was canceled after street protests last year.
Open questions
Whether the project will proceed despite the protests.
Whether Rama’s government approved the project to gain favor with the White House, as critics allege.
Key figures
Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and head of Affinity Partners.
Prime Minister Edi Rama of Albania.
Ivanka Trump, Trump’s daughter and Kushner’s wife.
Joni Vorpsey, environmentalist and manager at the NGO Protection and Preservation of Natural Environment in Albania.
Asher Abehsera, chairman of the firm developing the project.
Anna Kelly, White House press spokesperson.
Sources: NBC News
