TIRANA, Albania (AP) — A coastal development project in Albania linked to Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner is facing growing opposition from environmental advocates and has triggered daily protests in the capital, Tirana.
To the deafening sound of drums, horns and whistles, thousands of demonstrators late Saturday chanted “Rama Leave!” — referring to longtime Socialist Prime Minister Edi Rama.
The rally drew participation from Albanian migrant communities abroad as the protests dubbed the “flamingo revolution” continue to gain momentum. The government says the development on the Adriatic coast would be transformational for the former communist nation as it seeks to enter the high-end tourism market and pushes for European Union membership.
But the venture, spanning an abandoned island and a nearby stretch of seafront on Albania’s southern coast, has drawn opposition from environmental campaigners and critics of Rama’s government.
Thousands of protesters have taken to the streets in recent weeks, blowing whistles and holding up cardboard cut-outs of flamingos — one of the protected migratory bird species that could see their habitats threatened by the proposed luxury resort.