Protests in Albania over luxury resort project

Thousands of protesters gathered in Tirana on Thursday to oppose a planned €1.4 billion luxury resort on the Albanian coast. The project is led by Affinity Partners, an investment firm associated with Jared Kushner, son-in-law of U.S. President Donald Trump. The development is slated for an area near the Vjosa-Narta protected wetlands, which serve as a habitat for flamingos, seals, and sea turtles. Environmentalists argue that the project threatens hundreds of hectares of pristine coastline and critical nesting grounds. Local protests intensified after heavy machinery arrived at the site last week, leading to subsequent demonstrations outside Prime Minister Edi Rama's office. While protesters have called for the cancellation of the project and the resignation of the Prime Minister, the developers maintain that the resort will focus on environmental stewardship. Prime Minister Rama has publicly defended the initiative as beneficial to the national economy.