Albania Protests Escalate Over Kushner-Linked $4B Coastal Tourism Project

Thousands of people filled the streets of Tirana on Tuesday as anger mounted over a proposed coastal tourism development tied to US President Donald Trump’s daughter Ivanka Trump and her husband, Jared Kushner, with opponents warning that protected wetlands and lagoons are being put at risk, media reports said.

The demonstrations have sharpened in Albania amid claims that officials are clearing the way for large-scale construction in environmentally sensitive zones. Protesters say the project threatens protected land and could pave the way for wider changes to conservation rules.

Under the banner “Albania is not for sale,” thousands marched from Skanderbeg Square to the prime minister’s office, local media outlets reported, to oppose the planned tourism scheme in the Zvernec area near the coastal city of Vlora.

Carrying banners and placards, demonstrators urged the state to defend fragile natural areas and reject building activity inside protected zones.

At the heart of the dispute is a plan to turn Sazan Island and sections of the nearby Narta-Zvernec wetland and lagoon system into a luxury tourism destination.

The project is estimated at about $4 billion and is expected to cover roughly 250 hectares inside the protected coastal ecosystem.

Kushner’s investment firm is leading the effort and has already secured backing from the Albanian government.

Environmental organisations and local activists argue the development could inflict lasting damage on one of Albania’s most vulnerable coastal landscapes and raise concerns for properties belonging to Greek minority families in the area.

Tempers boiled over during weekend protests at the proposed site, where clashes were reported between demonstrators and private security staff assigned to guard the area.

Pepper spray deployed by security personnel affected both protesters and police officers.

Later, the security company said some employees involved in the incident had been suspended.

The issue has also taken on a political edge, with protesters calling for Prime Minister Edi Rama to resign and accusing his government of enabling the project through legislative changes passed in 2024 affecting protected areas.

Rama has defended the plan, insisting it is moving forward in line with legal and environmental standards.

The Albanian government has presented luxury tourism investment as part of a wider push to attract foreign capital and grow the country’s high-end tourism sector.