Protests Against Jared Kushner, Ivanka Trump Island Project Grow: Photos
Thousands of Albanians took to the streets this week to protest a proposed luxury resort backed by President Donald Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner’s investment firm, with opponents warning the development could threaten a protected coastal area that is home to flamingos, seals and sea turtles.
Some protesters said “Albania is not for sale,” and carried signs reading, “Ivanka! Ivanka! Keep your hands away from Narta,” a reference to the protected Vjosa-Narta wetland where the resort is planned. Some demonstrators also carried flamingo cutouts to highlight concerns about the area’s wildlife.
Newsweek has filled out a contact form with Affinity Partners for comment on Friday.
Why Are People Protesting in Albania?
Protesters took to the streets of Tirana, Albania’s capital, throughout the week, culminating in a large demonstration on Thursday. Machinery, including excavators, has been at the site of a proposed luxury resort backed by Kushner’s investment firm since last month.
“Albania is not for sale. Albania belongs to the Albanian people and we decide what we want to do here. It’s not that some corrupt politicians who run Albania can decide what they can do with our property, with the Albanian heritage, the natural heritage, a cultural heritage,” Lindita Komani, a writer who joined the protests, told Reuters.
Environmentalists are concerned about the wildlife in the area, as the wetland region is home to flamingos, seals, and sea turtle nesting sites. Some protestors have called upon Prime Minister Edi Rama to resign over the matter.
Ornithologist Ledi Selgjekaj told Reuters that more than 1 percent of the global population of flamingos lives in Albania. “Of course, it’s very important to have investments in the country. It’s very important for the economy, but you have to choose very wisely where to build it. There is a reason why this area is called a protected area."
Protests over the Kushner-linked resort have been largely peaceful but have at times turned violent, with clashes reported between demonstrators and security personnel. Police fired a water cannon and clashed with protestors on Wednesday.
The unrest comes amid broader anti-government protests in Albania in recent months over corruption allegations, some of which have turned violent, with clashes involving police, arrests and the use of tear gas reported.
TIRANA, ALBANIA – JUNE 3: Protesters are sprayed with water by a police water canon as they clash with police during third day of protests asking resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama on June 3, 2026 in Tirana, Albania. Recently protests have escalated into violent clashes over illegal bulldozing in the protected PishÎ Poro-Narta landscape, sparking solidarity rallies in Tirana. This environmental destruction is driven by the government’s push for luxury tourism developments and has drawn severe backlash from the European Union. The European Commission is actively monitoring the crisis, explicitly warning Tirana that failing to halt this habitat destruction and ignoring environmental regulations will directly jeopardise Albania’s EU accession process under Chapter 27 (Environment). (Photo by Armando Babani/Getty Images) Armando Babani Getty Images TIRANA, ALBANIA – JUNE 2: Protesters gather under the slogan “Albania is not for sale”, asking for the resignation of Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, in front of Albanian Government building on June 2, 2026 in Tirana, Albania. Recently protests have escalated into violent clashes over illegal bulldozing in the protected PishÎ Poro-Narta landscape, sparking solidarity rallies in Tirana. This environmental destruction is driven by the government’s push for luxury tourism developments and has drawn severe backlash from the European Union. The European Commission is actively monitoring the crisis, explicitly warning Tirana that failing to halt this habitat destruction and ignoring environmental regulations will directly jeopardise Albania’s EU accession process under Chapter 27 (Environment). (Photo by Armando Babani/Getty Images) Armando Babani Getty Images Protestors take part in a demonstration in front of the prime minister’s office, against the construction of a luxury resort near a protected natural area, in Tirana on June 3, 2026. Citizens demonstrate for the fourth day to demand transparency around a tourist complex project allegedly linked to US President’s son-in-law. (Photo by AFP via Getty Images) STRINGER AFP via Getty Images Protesters scuffle with police officers blocking a street during a demonstration in Tirana, Albania, Wednesday, June 3, 2026, opposing a luxury coastal development project linked to Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump over concerns about environmental impacts and transparency.(AP Photo/Hameraldi Agolli) Hameraldi Agolli AP Photo/Hameraldi Agolli Protesters hold pink flamingo cutouts during a demonstration in Tirana, Albania, Wednesday, June 3, 2026, opposing a luxury coastal development project linked to Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump over concerns about environmental impacts and transparency. (AP Photo/Hameraldi Agolli) Hameraldi Agolli AP Photo/Hameraldi Agolli
What to Know About Jared Kushner’s Albanian Resort
The project has two parts-a coastal development in the Narta Lagoon area, which has raised concerns among locals, and a smaller resort on the uninhabited island of Sazan, which is located in the Adriatic Sea.
The Special Prosecution Office Against Corruption and Organized Crime (SPAK) has opened an inquiry into decisions made in 2024 that altered the legal status of land along the southern coast, including parts of the Vjosa-Narta lagoon and Sazan. Authorities are examining whether those changes-affecting areas previously classified as protected-cleared the way for the large-scale tourism project, which was approved in December 2025 by Albanian Prime Minister Rama.
The development, tied to Kushner's investment firm, Affinity Partners, would transform a stretch of ecologically sensitive coastline into a high-end destination, with plans reportedly including 10,000 hotel rooms and villas. Albania’s coastline has been transformed for tourism development in other parts of the country as tourism is increasing.
Rama has framed the project as central to boosting the country's tourism appeal, saying it would help make Albania "a destination to be envied in the region" while defending it as a major investment opportunity. Kushner and Ivanka Trump visited Albania this year as discussions with the government continued, according to officials, though the final project proposal and environmental studies have not yet been completed.
"We're excited about the opportunity to create a world-class destination and make one of the largest private investments in the region's history,” Asher Abehsera, chairman of Sazan Real Estate Development, one of the partners involved in the project, previously told Newsweek. “Our focus remains on responsible stewardship, environmental enhancement, job creation, and creating long-term value for local communities. We respect the ongoing public and institutional processes, and we stand ready to move forward as they unfold."
Ivanka Trump said in an interview with podcaster David Senra that the couple found the island serendipitously. "We were on a friend's boat, and we stopped for a swim. Effectively, that's how we found it," she explained. "We swam to the island. We went on a hike, barefoot all the way up to the top, and we were just captivated."
A similar project backed by a Kushner-linked investment firm in neighboring Serbia unraveled after prosecutors charged four people, including a government minister, with abuse of office and falsifying documents related to the development.
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This story was originally published June 5, 2026 at 6:31 PM.