Thousands gathered in front of the Albanian prime minister’s office on Thursday after four days of protests over a €1.4 billion luxury resort construction linked to the Trump family. The growing unrest centers on secretive government deals with Jared Kushner’s real estate firm that aims to build up to 10,000 hotel rooms and villas inside the Narta Lagoon nature reserve.
Environmental organizations say the area is one of the Mediterranean’s most sensitive ecosystems, sheltering over 200 bird species and near-extinct Mediterranean monk seals. On Tuesday, Albanian authorities (SPAK) opened an investigation into the 2024 easing of environmental protections that cleared the way for Kushner’s project.
The protests began on May 30 when locals found a private security firm enclosing part of the coast with barbed-wire and fences. The demonstrations have since mobilized over 100,000 people across the country and in diaspora as environmental concerns fuse with anger over corruption and disregard for local communities.
