Protesters tear down Jared Kushner linked Albania development site fences

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Some 200 protesters on Saturday ​tore down metal and razor wire fences surrounding a luxury development site on Albania's Adriatic coast, in another sign of growing anger against construction ⁠in environmentally sensitive areas.

Albanians have been protesting for weeks against a planned luxury resort backed by a company linked to Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of U.S. President Donald Trump, near ⁠Vlora, which is famed for ​its ⁠flamingos and a turtle nesting site.

On Saturday, villagers from Rrjoll, located in an area ⁠of sandy beaches and pine forests in northwestern Albania, protested ​against ⁠another project, saying it ‌was being built on their confiscated land.

They waved Albanian national flags and shouted "Revolution" as they tore down the ‌fences. Some scuffles with police broke out ‌but the police did not stop them from removing the fencing.

Protesters who say their land has been taken unjustly, tear down the fence where a tourist resort is to be built by the Adriatic coast, in Rrjoll, near Shkodra, Albania, June 13, 2026

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Protesters who say their land has been taken unjustly, tear down the fence where a tourist resort is to be built by the Adriatic coast, in Rrjoll, near Shkodra, Albania, June 13, 2026 (Reuters)

"The protests will not stop until the residents of ⁠the village of Rrjoll are compensated. We are 200 families whose land has been seized," said Zeke Nikolle Shullani, 56, one of the landowners who have been protesting for several months.

An Albanian company has been developing a five-star luxury tourist resort on the site and ‌the project was granted "special status investor" by the ​Albanian government.

"What is happening in this country ‌is madness," said Nikolin Markpalaj, ⁠60, another local landowner. "We asked the investors to ⁠come and consult with the people but they refused. They ‌think they can take ​all this wealth without ‌blood or anything else that ​might happen here?"