Albanian Anger Mounts Over Trump Son-in-Law's Resort Development in Protected Area

(Central News Agency, Tirana, 6th, Combined Foreign Reports) Thousands of Albanian citizens gathered on the streets of the capital Tirana today, while hundreds more gathered at a coastal lagoon nature reserve, all protesting a luxury resort development project linked to the Trump family.

According to AFP, Albanian activists and local residents responded to a call from environmental organizations, flocking at noon to the Vjosa-Narta Lagoon on the southern coast, a protected area located about 150 kilometers southwest of Tirana.

This is the latest in a series of actions protesting the resort development, which is linked to US President Donald Trump's daughter Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner, and is estimated to cost €4 billion (approximately NT$140 billion).

Protestor Emiljona Puja, who works in finance, said, "The entire marine area is a protected zone. If it is destroyed, it will be a fatal blow to the performance of local biodiversity."

Protestors gathered on the sandy beach with its blue waters. Some waved red Albanian flags, while others held inflatable flamingos, a symbol of the action, chanting, "Cancel the plan!"

Later in the center of Tirana, a large crowd held the largest protest march to date. Protestors carrying signs reading "Ivanka Go Home" and "Albania is Not for Sale" marched towards government buildings.

When the developer set up barbed wire on the protected area in late May to prepare for site work, it caused a stir and protests, and the barbed wire was subsequently removed.

Citizens rushed to the site after seeing videos of the beach construction site and bulldozers on social media, but these machines were not present today. Media on-site observed that the concrete wall foundations that had been built were also removed.

For the past week, thousands of protestors have gathered in Tirana every evening, condemning the destruction of a large protected area to be transformed into a luxury tourist destination.

According to the plan, the developer also hopes to turn the uninhabited Sazan Island into a tourist attraction. The island was once a secret military base during the communist era.

This lagoon protected area on the southern Adriatic Sea coast is home to various migratory birds, including flamingos.

Denisa Kasa of the Albanian Nature and Environment Protection Association (PPNEA) said, "This is not just a matter of transparency in the whole process. The relevant plans completely disregard the environmental importance of this area."

Kasa added, "This area is one of the most important biodiversity hotspots in the Mediterranean."

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama downplayed the protests yesterday, insisting there was "no reason to worry" and stating the plan had not yet been approved.

Rama insisted that the plan involves participation from "top-tier" people from around the world, aiming to "create something unique."