Hundreds of protesters have torn down fences surrounding a planned luxury development site in Albania, as public anger continues to mount over construction in environmentally sensitive areas.
Demonstrations were originally triggered by proposals by a company linked to Jared Kushner, son-in-law of U.S. President Donald Trump, plans to build a luxury resort near Vlora on the Adriatic coast, an area which is famous for its flamingos and a turtle nesting site.
Dissent has now spread to the village of Rjoll, which is located in an area of sandy beaches and a pine forest in northwestern Albania, where locals demonstrated against a separate development on Saturday, saying it was being built on their confiscated land.
They waved Albanian national flags and shouted "revolution" as they tore down fences. Some scuffles with police broke out, but the police did not stop them from removing the fencing.
"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, one of the landowners.
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, 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?"
Thousands of people have protested in recent weeks in Albania against the luxury tourism project linked to Kushner.
The scheme, backed by Kushner's investment firm, is estimated to be worth around $4 billion and would include hotels and tourism facilities across hundreds of acres of protected coastal land.
Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama has strongly defended the Kushner-linked project, arguing that it complies with Albanian law and environmental regulations.
The sound of air raid sirens and explosions rang out in Ukraine's capital Kyiv on Sunday (4 October) as Ger...
The leader of Yemen's Saudi-backed government announced the beginning of a major military operation against...
Uzbekistan’s grape exports have grown rapidly. In January-August 2025, the country exported 86,200 tonnes of fresh grapes worth $78.3 million...
The co-pilot of Israel bound flydubai flight attempted to carry out a “terrorist attack” with an axe during the flight, the United Arab Emirates prosecutor general said on Saturday.
Hammam al-Hammami, the Flydubai co-pilot accused of stabbing the captain of an Israel-bound flight on Wednesday in a suspected terrorist attack, was banned from flying by Oman over concerns about his radical views, U.S. media reported on Friday, citing people familiar with the matter.
Two Iranian nationals have been charged in Britain with preparing a suspected terrorist attack targeting the Jewish community in northern England, police said on Friday (2 October).
Uzbekistan’s grape exports have grown rapidly. In January-August 2025, the country exported 86,200 tonnes of fresh grapes worth $78.3 million to 19 countries but can it turn these crops into a recognisable international product?
A major bridge across the Dnipro river in Kyiv was hit in a Russian air attack on Saturday, the city's mayor, Vitali Klitschko said, as strikes on the capital's infrastructure continue.
U.S. President Donald Trump has appointed Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton to lead the administration’s latest effort to shape policy on artificial intelligence (AI), according to the Wall Street Journal.
Brazilians are voting on Sunday (04 October) in the first round of a closely contested general election, following a campaign shaped by corruption scandals, economic concerns and accusations of foreign interference.
The sound of air raid sirens and explosions rang out in Ukraine's capital Kyiv on Sunday (4 October) as German Chancellor Friedrich Merz arrived for a visit to show support for President Volodymyr Zelenskyy amid escalating Russian attacks.
An alleged 2024 rape case involving seven former members of Cornell University’s Chi Phi fraternity has been reopened after the alleged victim, known anonymously as Jane Doe in court documents, filed a civil lawsuit accusing the men of drugging and gang-raping her.
Bosnia and Herzegovina is voting in general elections on Sunday (4 October) that could shape the country’s stalled path towards European Union membership, as well as the competing influence of the United States and Russia in the Western Balkans.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment