Thousands of people have protested in Tirana, the Albanian capital, for a fifth consecutive day against a proposed €1.4 billion resort on Sazan Island, a project linked to Ivanka Trump and her husband, Jared Kushner. Demonstrators say the development threatens natural heritage and will not benefit local people.
Under the slogan “Albania is not for sale”, protesters marched through the city and called on the government to withdraw support for the complex. Some participants also demanded the prime minister’s resignation over the plan, which is being promoted by investors connected to the Trump family.
One attendee told La Sexta Barcelona: “Albania belongs only to the Albanians. Albania is not for sale.” Another woman said: “Everything that will be built there is not for us.”
The planned resort would be built on Sazan Island, an area of environmental value off the Albanian coast. It lies near the Vjosa-Narta protected landscape, a wetland home to flamingos, seals and sea turtles. The flamingo has become a symbol of the protests, used by demonstrators to represent the defence of the natural environment against the project.
Opponents say the scheme would further restrict public access to the area and bring no real advantage to Albanian citizens. The protests are expected to continue until the government halts its plans for the resort. For more Catalonia-wide coverage of international news, see our news page.