TIRANA, June 10 - Thousands of people filled one of Tirana's main boulevards on Wednesday in what organizers and observers described as the largest public demonstration to date opposing a luxury resort project linked to Jared Kushner and his wife, Ivanka Trump.
The planned development, with an estimated price tag of about 5 billion euros, has drawn sharp criticism because of its proposed siting near a protected wetland. Authorities and campaigners have highlighted that the area contains habitat for flamingoes, seals and sea turtle nesting sites, and opponents say the presence of those species makes the location especially sensitive.
Outside Prime Minister Edi Rama's office the demonstrators carried banners and chanted slogans, while the crowd extended roughly half a mile along the boulevard. Many held placards reading "Albania is not for sale" and chanted calls for a political reboot under the slogan "New Albania." The size and intensity of the turnout marked an escalation in public opposition to the project.
"The project in Zvernec is a project ... with no transparency. And this is the apotheosis of what has been happening in Albania for the last 35 years. So today, enough is enough," said Leand Lakrori, one of the protesters, as he addressed the issues of openness and accountability that have animated much of the backlash.
The demonstrations present a fresh challenge to Prime Minister Rama, who has led the government since 2013. Many critics have blamed his administration for failing to eliminate entrenched corruption and for not doing enough to bolster basic public services such as healthcare. Those grievances have fed into the wider outcry around the resort plans.
In a recent interview, Rama said the development would proceed and that it would be completed responsibly. He also pointed to steps taken to tackle graft, including the creation of a special prosecution office known by the acronym SPAK, which has launched several high-profile investigations in recent years.
Despite those measures, mistrust has persisted. Earlier in the year clashes turned violent as demonstrators called for the resignation of Rama's deputy, Belinda Balluku, amid allegations of corruption. Balluku was later dismissed from her post by the prime minister, yet the episode left lingering public skepticism toward the government.
"I'm here to protest, to finish this saga of the Albanian government. It's the same two parties always," said Fabio Bracaj, speaking to the recurring complaints over political continuity. "We want a new era ... we want a better country."
The resort concept is publicly associated with Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump, who have described developing a personal affinity for Albania after a visit some years ago on a yacht. Tensions at the proposed site near the village of Zvernec intensified when developers erected a fence around part of the land last month; that fence has since been removed following the public backlash.
For now, the confrontation leaves open several questions about how the project will proceed amid sustained public protest, environmental concerns and continued scrutiny of government transparency and anti-corruption efforts.