Thousands rally against Kushner-linked luxury resort in Albania

Thousands of Albanians have gathered nightly in Tirana for more than two weeks, protesting a proposed multibillion-dollar luxury coastal resort linked to U.S. investor Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump. The demonstrations have expanded from an environmental movement into a broader anti-government uprising demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama and an end to political corruption.

Daily marches began in the capital on May 30, sparked by reports of bulldozers moving onto land near the village of Zvernec in late May to prepare for the development. Protesters hold cardboard flamingos and signs reading "Albania is not for sale," highlighting concerns that the resort complex threatens the Vjosa-Narta wetlands, a key stopover for migratory birds including flamingos and a habitat for endangered sea turtles. The project, estimated at between 4.6 and 5 billion euros, includes a coastal development in the Narta Lagoon area and a smaller resort on the uninhabited island of Sazan, a former communist-era military base.

Prime Minister Rama has vigorously defended the investment, which he says will transform Albania's tourism industry and boost economic growth. He insists the project...