Thousands of demonstrators gathered in Tirana, Albania's capital, on 11 June for a twelfth straight day of protests against a proposed luxury resort linked to Jared Kushner, son-in-law of US President Donald Trump. Marchers called for the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama and condemned the government's backing of a development planned along the country's Adriatic coast, keeping sustained public pressure on authorities over a project that has ignited a broader national debate.

At the heart of the protests is the Vjosa-Narta landscape, one of Albania's most significant wetland areas, which environmental groups warn could be severely damaged by large-scale construction. Demonstrators made their concerns vivid by carrying inflatable flamingos — a reference to the protected bird habitats that critics say the resort would threaten. The wetland supports migratory species and is considered a ecologically sensitive area, making it a focal point for conservationists who argue that short-term investment gains cannot justify long-term environmental harm.

Beyond environmental concerns, the protests have broadened into a wider critique of the government's development priorities. Many demonstrators argue that public funds and political attention should be directed towards hospitals, schools and crumbling infrastructure rather than high-end tourism projects. The Albanian government, however, maintains that the resort would generate significant economic growth and position the country as a destination for luxury tourism — arguments it has continued to advance despite the scale of the street opposition.

Adding to the political pressure, Albania's state anti-corruption agency has opened an investigation linked to the development, though officials have not publicly disclosed further details about the scope or focus of the inquiry. The revelation has intensified calls for greater transparency at a particularly sensitive moment: Albania is actively pursuing European Union membership and is keen to demonstrate strong governance standards to Brussels.

The persistence and scale of the demonstrations — now stretching nearly two weeks — signal a level of civic mobilisation rarely sustained in Albania, and suggest that the Kushner resort has touched a nerve well beyond purely environmental concerns, raising fundamental questions about who benefits from foreign investment and at what cost to the public interest.