Albania: Pink Flamingos and Bulldozers Clash Over Kushner Resort Project

Thousands of Albanians have taken to the streets of Tirana for three consecutive days to protest a $1.6 billion luxury resort project spearheaded by Jared Kushner, former President Donald Trump's son-in-law. Despite an offer of dialogue from Prime Minister Edi Rama, opponents refuse any compromise until bulldozers leave one of the Mediterranean's most sensitive natural sites.

Brandishing inflatable pink flamingos to denounce ongoing environmental destruction, demonstrators converged on central Tirana to voice their anger. The movement, now in its third day, is spreading beyond the capital, with rallies planned in the south of the country near the construction site. Initial land clearing has begun on the Sazan island and coastal areas targeted by Affinity Partners, Kushner's investment fund.

The project aims to build a vast luxury hotel and residential complex. It encompasses Sazan Island, Albania's only island, and surrounding wetland and coastal habitats within a national marine park. The area is a critical refuge for the endangered Mediterranean monk seal and hosts over 200 bird species, many of them threatened, including flamingos and Dalmatian pelicans.

Aleksandr Trajce, executive director of the conservation group PPNEA, called the project an alarming precedent. "From beginning to end, there has been a total lack of transparency," he stated. "We have seen no public consultation or documentation regarding permits. We are saying now that if the bulldozers leave, fences are removed, and habitats are restored to their original state, then we can begin to discuss."

The situation escalated when workers began erecting a concrete fence topped with barbed wire around the site near Zvërnec. They deployed private security and heavy machinery to clear ancient dunes and pine forests, prompting widespread public outcry.

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From beginning to end, there has been a total lack of transparency. We have seen no public consultation or documentation regarding permits. We are saying now that if the bulldozers leave, fences are removed, and habitats are restored to their original state, then we can begin to discuss.