Thousands of Albanians have taken to the streets for a third consecutive day in the capital, Tirana, to oppose a $1.6 billion luxury resort development linked to Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of US President Donald Trump. Protesters — some carrying inflatable flamingos and cardboard cut-outs of the pink bird in reference to the threatened wildlife — marched under the slogan
Mosaic News
News without borders
Tuesday, 14 July 2026
Albania protests intensify over Kushner-linked luxury resort on protected coastline[Updated]
Thursday, 4 June 2026, 06:22 · 1 min read
Updates
39d
The protests have now stretched into a fifth consecutive day, with demonstrators maintaining nightly rallies outside Prime Minister Edi Rama's office. Investigative documents obtained through Freedom of Information requests reveal that the development company, Zvernec South Adriatic Development — registered as an offshore trust in the Netherlands — involves a network that includes a businessman with alleged ties to the Italian mafia, a former judge who resigned to avoid scrutiny over his assets, and associates of prominent Albanian businessman Shefqet Kastrati. On the ground, preparatory construction work has already begun, with witnesses reporting gravel roads and sand dune excavations inside the Vjosa-Narta Protected Landscape, while a razor-wire fence erected in April has blocked public access to Pishe Poro beach. Misinformation has also spread online alongside the real demonstrations, with viral videos falsely depicting a burning house as Rama's home and repurposed football crowd footage misrepresented as protest scenes.
Sources
Balkan Insight — Behind a Trump-Linked Albanian Resort Project, a Host of Murky Interests ↗︎BBC World — Kushner-backed luxury resort plan sparks protests in Albania ↗︎France24 — Viral videos mislead as Albania erupts against Kushner-linked luxury resort ↗︎RFI — Albanie: la colère des opposants aux projets immobiliers de la famille Trump vire à la mobilisation politique ↗︎
Original story
Sources
Also covered by
This article was automatically compiled by AI from the sources above. It may contain inaccuracies. Always read the original sources for the full context.