Jared Kushner luxury resort project sparks protest wave in Albania

A Growing Ritual of Dissent

Protests in Albania have become a nightly routine. Each evening, demonstrators gather in Skanderbeg Square, the central plaza of the capital, Tirana. As summer temperatures have risen, the meeting time has shifted progressively later—from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m., and now closer to 8 p.m.

The crowd then marches toward the prime minister's office, holds a small rally with speeches, and continues around ministerial buildings or along a main Tirana route. The following night, they do it all over again. This ritual has now continued for 46 consecutive days.

Origins of the Movement

The protests began in late May in Zvërnec, near Vlorë in southern Albania, after private security clashed with local residents who were protesting the installation of a barbed wire fence blocking beach access. While the fence's installer has not been confirmed, the beachfront area has been linked to Jared Kushner, former President Donald Trump's son-in-law.

In 2024, Kushner announced plans to develop this stretch of the Zvërnec coastline and build a billion-dollar luxury resort on Sazan Island, a former military barracks off the coast. The same week private guards dragged away a local protester, Ivanka Trump—Kushner's wife and the former president's daughter—described on a podcast how she and Kushner "found" Sazan, allegedly during a boating excursion.

"Not only the island, but we have five miles of beachfront directly across from the island, this beautiful peninsula with a lagoon on one side, the ocean on the other, beautiful white sand beaches," Ivanka Trump told host David Senra.

Environmental Concerns

The lagoon is part of the Vjosë-Nartë protected wetland, which includes a migratory bird route and critical wildlife habitat for some 70 endangered species. Environmental groups have fought potential development of this area for years.

The recent crackdown in Zvërnec has become a symbol of what protesters describe as an unaccountable and untransparent land grab in Albania. This sparked the "Flamingo Revolution"—named after the flamingos that inhabit the threatened lagoon—which has channeled deep public anger and exhaustion with the country's political system.

"It's just the sentiment that we, as Albanians, cannot make a living here in Albania, and that our country is turning into a paradise for foreigners, but a living hell for Albanians," said Arilda Lleshi, an activist involved in the protests.

Unprecedented Mobilization

When protests spread to Tirana, Lleshi was surprised that each day more people showed up—not just usual activists but entire families, from the elderly to young children. A longtime activist, she had grown accustomed to protests that dispersed or fizzled out.

"This energy doesn't seem like it's going to stop soon," she said.

The movement is now one of the largest and most sustained, mostly peaceful street mobilizations since the collapse of Albania's communist regime in the early 1990s.

"It's very peaceful, and this is, I guess, our strongest weapon," said Xhemal Xherri, an activist and conservationist with PPNEA, an Albanian environmental NGO fighting to preserve the Vjosë-Nartë Protected Area.

At the protests, a corner is designated where children paint and draw signs. Bright flamingos appear everywhere—on signs or as cutouts rising above the crowd.

Government Response

Prime Minister Edi Rama has largely denounced the protests, blaming everything from foreign interference to international anti-Trump sentiment.

"ANYONE WHO TRIES TO DRAG ALBANIA BACK DOWN WILL NEVER SUCCEED AGAIN," Rama has said.

Rama has been evasive about the actual status of the Sazan Island development project but has largely defended such development initiatives.

"Albania should not be a country that fears an extraordinary project like this one, where exceptional partners have come together to invest four billion euros [$4.7 billion]," Rama said, according to Al Jazeera. "There is no chance for this investment to stop as long as I am here."

Demands and Broader Grievances

Rama's resignation is among the protesters' demands, but their anger is directed at the entire political class—from Rama and his Socialist Party to opposition leader and former president Sali Berisha. One common protest slogan is: "Rama në burg, Berisha në burg"—roughly, "Rama to jail, Berisha to jail."

Migen Qiraxhi, a civic activist with Qëndresa Qytetare, a Tirana-based governance NGO, said the public has grown tired of leaders taking "all of the spoils for themselves rather than the benefits trickling down to the broader population."

The Kushner-linked project is symbolic of this grievance, though the protests ultimately challenge the political forces that allowed such a deal to occur. In 2024, the Albanian parliament passed Law No. 21/2, which facilitated the arrangement.

Image: The Albanian island of Sazan, as seen from the sea, June 17, 2026. Credit: Peter Kneffel/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images