Massive Protests Demand PM Rama's Resignation Over Sazan Island Development; Environmental Groups Cite Threat to Protected Wetlands and WildlifeThousands of Albanians have marched through Tirana in what has become one of the largest recent rallies against a luxury resort project linked to US President Donald Trump's daughter Ivanka and her husband Jared Kushner, with Saturday's demonstration drawing what appeared to be one of the biggest crowds since protests began in late May. The movement, dubbed the "Flamingo Revolution," has expanded from initial demonstrations at the project site to daily protests in the capital, with supporters from Albanian diaspora communities abroad also holding rallies.To the deafening sound of drums, horns and whistles, thousands of demonstrators chanted "Rama Leave!" referring to longtime Socialist Prime Minister Edi Rama, with protesters using flamingo cutouts, inflatable flamingos, national flags and modified protest imagery to represent both environmental protection and wider civic resistance. Protesters have increasingly made overtly political demands centered on calls for Rama's resignation and early elections, as initial environmental concerns have evolved into a broader revolt against alleged corruption, state capture, media capture and poor governance.  The Project and Its Scope The planned development consists of two components: a coastal development in the Narta Lagoon area, which is a wildlife reserve, and a smaller resort on the uninhabited island of Sazan, a former communist military base. The project involves hotels, apartments, villas and a marina, with over 10,000 accommodation units planned across the sites, and the development is linked to Kushner and Trump's daughter Ivanka Trump.  According to Wikipedia, the land on Sazan was sold in a 1.4 billion euro deal, which locals and parliamentarians were unaware of until newspapers reported it, after which Albanians began referring to Sazan as "Trump Island." Prime Minister Rama has said the projects together are worth up to 5 billion euros, describing the investment as transformational for the former communist nation as it seeks to enter the high-end tourism market. The Discovery and Development Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner first visited Albania on a private trip in July 2021, travelling the entire coastline on a yacht owned by Nathaniel Rothschild, a friend of theirs. In an interview this week with US podcaster David Senra, Ivanka Trump said they discovered the site by accident, recounting that they swam to the island and went on a hike barefoot all the way to the top, saying "we were just captivated and it stayed with us ever since."  Prime Minister Edi Rama met them on the yacht during the trip and discussed investment opportunities with Kushner a year later. In March 2024, Kushner announced plans to invest in Sazan and the nearby coastal area on the mainland near the village of Zvërnec. The Albanian government granted the Sazan project strategic investment status on December 30, 2025, noting that the project would occupy 565 hectares with some 45 hectares to be developed.  Environmental and Legal Concerns The project spans a wildlife reserve and an uninhabited island, with protesters voicing concerns about the impact on biodiversity, as heavy machinery entered the area at the end of May, prompting further outrage. Images of flamingos in flight have been held aloft at rallies, symbolising fears for migratory birds that breed near the planned resort and Sazan Island projects.  The Vjosa-Narta Protected Landscape is home to endangered species including monk seals, sea turtles and more than 200 bird species, including flamingos and pelicans. Environmental groups such as BirdLife have connected Kushner's tourism development project to an amendment to Albania's Protected Areas Law passed shortly prior, which exempted "structures of excellence, 5 stars or more" and related hospitality activities from restrictions on construction in environmentally protected areas such as where the project is proposed.  Environmental advocates argue that the legislation violates both Albanian and EU laws, with experts warning that "this is also endangering our longtime dream of joining the EU" and that "if somebody will try to go to the court against that, they have high chance of winning and that's a big problem for the investors."  Corruption and Ownership Questions Reporter.al, the Albanian outlet of the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network, reported that Zvërnec South Adriatic Development was established in August 2024 and owned by Dutch Trust Management B.V., a Dutch trust, obscuring the owners' identities. The company is linked through a network of shell companies to the Sazan Island project and to Qatari investor brothers Ramez Al-Khayyat and Mohamad Al-Khayyat.  On June 2, Albanian anti-corruption prosecutors froze the bank accounts of a firm that purchased land along the ecologically protected coastline as part of an investigation into fraudulent property titles involving a company named Albania Land Development. According to NPR, investigative journalist Lindita Cela has been tracking a string of shell companies from Albania to the Netherlands that are connected to Kushner and Trump's project, noting that "from Albanian documents, it's impossible to find out" who the actual owners are.  Government Response and International Context Prime Minister Rama has committed to the venture, saying it would align with Albania's ambition to become a major global tourism destination and that "there is no chance for this investment to stop as long as I am here." Rama has denied allegations of unlawful conduct, minimized the size of the protests, and portrayed parts of the movement as influenced by misinformation, foreign interests or a broader "hybrid war."  When NPR emailed Kushner's Affinity Partners, a representative of a company called Sazan Real Estate Development responded with a statement from businessman Asher Abehsera, saying their focus "remains on responsible stewardship, environmental enhancement, job creation, and creating long-term value for local communities." The representative stated that "Kushner's Affinity Partners investment firm has no role in this project" and that "partners are involved as investors in their personal capacity."  International Scrutiny and Precedent European Union officials say they are monitoring the development to ensure that it complies with the terms of Albania's bid to join the EU. However, the demise of a similar project in Serbia offers a cautionary tale; in November, Serbia's Parliament passed a special law to enable the building of a luxury complex in the capital Belgrade to be financed by an investment company linked to Kushner, but the project ultimately did not proceed.  The Broadening Movement Protesters from abroad have returned home to join the movement, with members of the Albanian diaspora swelling the ranks of the Tirana marches as chants echo through the city's main boulevard with demonstrators insisting they will not leave the streets until Prime Minister Rama steps down. The protests have expanded to other cities in Albania, Kosovo and Albanian diaspora communities abroad.  Since late May, demonstrators have gathered every evening to oppose the planned construction, with violence against protesters during a demonstration near the project site on May 30 prompting the movement to expand to Tirana the following day. During an initial gathering in Zvernec on Saturday, private security guards attacked and injured several protesters, leading authorities to suspend several police officers and revoke the licenses of two private security companies.  Chanting "Cancel the project" and holding banners reading "Albania is not for sale" and "I don't want Albania like Dubai," protesters have demanded the government block the resort project citing environmental damage and corruption concerns. 

Thousands of Albanians have marched through Tirana in what has become one of the largest recent rallies against a luxury resort project linked to US President Donald Trump's daughter , with Saturday's demonstration drawing what appeared to be one of the biggest crowds since protests began in late May. The movement, dubbed the "Flamingo Revolution," has expanded from initial demonstrations at the project site to daily protests in the capital, with supporters from Albanian diaspora communities abroad also holding rallies. To the deafening sound of drums, horns and whistles, thousands of demonstrators chanted "Rama Leave!" referring to longtime Socialist Prime Minister Edi Rama, with protesters using flamingo cutouts, inflatable flamingos, national flags and modified protest imagery to represent both environmental protection and wider civic resistance. Protesters have increasingly made overtly political demands centered on calls for Rama's resignation and early elections, as initial environmental concerns have evolved into a broader revolt against alleged corruption, state capture, media capture and poor governance.  The planned development consists of two components: a coastal development in the Narta Lagoon area, which is a wildlife reserve, and a smaller resort on the uninhabited island of Sazan, a former communist military base. The project involves hotels, apartments, villas and a marina, with over 10,000 accommodation units planned across the sites, and the development is linked to Kushner and Trump's daughter Ivanka Trump.  According to Wikipedia, the land on Sazan was sold in a 1.4 billion euro deal, which locals and parliamentarians were unaware of until newspapers reported it, after which Albanians began referring to Sazan as "Trump Island." Prime Minister Rama has said the projects together are worth up to 5 billion euros, describing the investment as transformational for the former communist nation as it seeks to enter the high-end tourism market. Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner first visited Albania on a private trip in July 2021, travelling the entire coastline on a yacht owned by Nathaniel Rothschild, a friend of theirs. In an interview this week with US podcaster David Senra, Ivanka Trump said they discovered the site by accident, recounting that they swam to the island and went on a hike barefoot all the way to the top, saying "we were just captivated and it stayed with us ever since."  Prime Minister Edi Rama met them on the yacht during the trip and discussed investment opportunities with Kushner a year later. In March 2024, Kushner announced plans to invest in Sazan and the nearby coastal area on the mainland near the village of Zvërnec. The Albanian government granted the Sazan project strategic investment status on December 30, 2025, noting that the project would occupy 565 hectares with some 45 hectares to be developed.  The project spans a wildlife reserve and an uninhabited island, with protesters voicing concerns about the impact on biodiversity, as heavy machinery entered the area at the end of May, prompting further outrage. Images of flamingos in flight have been held aloft at rallies, symbolising fears for migratory birds that breed near the planned resort and Sazan Island projects.  The Vjosa-Narta Protected Landscape is home to endangered species including monk seals, sea turtles and more than 200 bird species, including flamingos and pelicans. Environmental groups such as BirdLife have connected Kushner's tourism development project to an amendment to Albania's Protected Areas Law passed shortly prior, which exempted "structures of excellence, 5 stars or more" and related hospitality activities from restrictions on construction in environmentally protected areas such as where the project is proposed.  Environmental advocates argue that the legislation violates both Albanian and EU laws, with experts warning that "this is also endangering our longtime dream of joining the EU" and that "if somebody will try to go to the court against that, they have high chance of winning and that's a big problem for the investors."  Reporter.al, the Albanian outlet of the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network, reported that Zvërnec South Adriatic Development was established in August 2024 and owned by Dutch Trust Management B.V., a Dutch trust, obscuring the owners' identities. The company is linked through a network of shell companies to the Sazan Island project and to Qatari investor brothers Ramez Al-Khayyat and Mohamad Al-Khayyat.  On June 2, Albanian anti-corruption prosecutors froze the bank accounts of a firm that purchased land along the ecologically protected coastline as part of an investigation into fraudulent property titles involving a company named Albania Land Development. According to NPR, investigative journalist Lindita Cela has been tracking a string of shell companies from Albania to the Netherlands that are connected to Kushner and Trump's project, noting that "from Albanian documents, it's impossible to find out" who the actual owners are.  Prime Minister Rama has committed to the venture, saying it would align with Albania's ambition to become a major global tourism destination and that "there is no chance for this investment to stop as long as I am here." Rama has denied allegations of unlawful conduct, minimized the size of the protests, and portrayed parts of the movement as influenced by misinformation, foreign interests or a broader "hybrid war."  When NPR emailed Kushner's Affinity Partners, a representative of a company called Sazan Real Estate Development responded with a statement from businessman Asher Abehsera, saying their focus "remains on responsible stewardship, environmental enhancement, job creation, and creating long-term value for local communities." The representative stated that "Kushner's Affinity Partners investment firm has no role in this project" and that "partners are involved as investors in their personal capacity."  to ensure that it complies with the terms of Albania's bid to join the EU. However, the demise of a similar project in Serbia offers a cautionary tale; in November, Serbia's Parliament passed a special law to enable the building of a luxury complex in the capital Belgrade to be financed by an investment company linked to Kushner, but the project ultimately did not proceed.  Protesters from abroad have returned home to join the movement, with members of the Albanian diaspora swelling the ranks of the Tirana marches as chants echo through the city's main boulevard with demonstrators insisting they will not leave the streets until Prime Minister Rama steps down. The protests have expanded to other cities in Albania, Kosovo and Albanian diaspora communities abroad.  Since late May, demonstrators have gathered every evening to oppose the planned construction, with violence against protesters during a demonstration near the project site on May 30 prompting the movement to expand to Tirana the following day. During an initial gathering in Zvernec on Saturday, private security guards attacked and injured several protesters, leading authorities to suspend several police officers and revoke the licenses of two private security companies.  Chanting "Cancel the project" and holding banners reading "Albania is not for sale" and "I don't want Albania like Dubai," protesters have demanded the government block the resort project citing environmental damage and corruption concerns.