Albanians have joined a growing wave of protests against a major coastal resort project linked to Jared Kushner’s investment firm, Affinity Partners. The demonstrations began near the proposed development site in Zvernec, close to the protected Vjosa-Narta coastal area, before spreading to the capital, Tirana, where protests continued for several days.
Chanting “cancel the project” and carrying banners reading “Albania is not for sale,” demonstrators demanded that the government block the resort plans. The project includes luxury tourism development on the uninhabited island of Sazan and in the Vjosa-Narta protected landscape, a wetland area near the southern community of Zvernec. The region is known for its biodiversity and is home to flamingos, seals, and sea turtle nesting sites.
Environmental groups, local residents, and civil society activists say the development could cause irreversible damage to one of Albania’s most sensitive coastal ecosystems. They have also raised concerns over transparency, land ownership, and possible corruption.
Albanians protest coastal resort after beach access blocked
The latest wave of demonstrations began after fencing and barbed wire appeared near the proposed development area, blocking access to the beach. Residents and environmental activists gathered in Zvernec, where tensions escalated.
Private security guards reportedly attacked and injured several protesters during the gathering. Following the incident, authorities suspended several police officers and revoked the licenses of two private security companies.
The unrest then moved to Tirana, where protesters rallied outside government buildings, including the office of Prime Minister Edi Rama. Demonstrators used inflatable flamingos as a symbol of the protected wetland and held signs reading “Nation is not for sale” and “I don’t want Albania like Dubai.”
Anti-corruption prosecutors open inquiry
The protests intensified after Albania’s Special Prosecutor’s Office against Corruption and Organized Crime (SPAK) opened an inquiry into issues surrounding land titles, sales to investors, and changes affecting the protected status of the area. It has not been confirmed whether the land surrounded by barbed wire has been purchased by Affinity Partners.
Kushner first presented plans for development projects in Albania two years ago. According to those plans, Sazan, a former secret communist-era military base, would be transformed into a luxury tourist destination. The development has been estimated at around €1.4-1.6 billion ($1.62-1.86 billion). Luxury hotels were also planned for Zvernec, near the Vjosa-Narta protected area.
Environmental groups warn of serious damage
In January, around forty environmental organizations called for the suspension of the resort plans, warning that the project could threaten biodiversity in a coastal zone of major ecological significance. “We want all construction to halt and heavy machines out of the protected area,” said Joni Vorpsi, an ecologist with PPNEA-BirdLife Albania. “This would be a new city with around 10,000 rooms and it will completely destroy that wild region.”
Environmentalists argue that the scale of the project is incompatible with the protected status of the area. They say the development could disrupt bird migration routes, damage habitats, and permanently alter a largely undeveloped stretch of coastline.
Albanians protest as Rama rejects calls to halt coastal resort project
Prime Minister Edi Rama invited protesters to choose a delegation of about twenty people to discuss possible solutions, but the protesters rejected the proposal. Rama has publicly defended the investment, arguing that Albania must remain open and fair toward foreign investors.
“It is very important that we remain welcoming, that we remain fair, and that under no circumstances do we receive the stigma of being a country where investors are met with hostility,” Rama said in a statement shared with Reuters. “There is absolutely no chance that the investment will stop as long as I am here.” His comments have further angered opponents of the project, who say the issue is not hostility toward investment but the protection of public land, natural heritage, and the rule of law.
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