Flamingo revolution in Albania against Jared Kushner's luxury resort in the Vjosa-Narta protected area has long affected more than environmental protection and privatization

dossier

“A company with ties to the US president's son-in-law wants to build hotel complexes in Albanian protected areas. The head of government denies an agreement. Excavators are already clearing pine forest in the project area. On Monday, thousands took to the streets in Tirana, the capital of Albania. They were protesting against a luxury resort project linked to Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of former US President Donald Trump. The investment company Affinity Partners wants to transform coastal wetlands into a huge holiday resort. The project envisages hotel complexes on several hectares of the protected coastal zone Vjosa-Narta near Zvernec and on the uninhabited Adriatic island of Sazan…”Article by Anna Flori from June 2nd, 2026 at Euronews (“Albania: Thousands protest against Jared Kushner’s luxury project”) with a video – see more information:

• The “Flamingos” have been protesting in Albania against the sell-out of their country for three months – 14 arrests at the beginning of September mark a new “quality” of repression
  • Albania: September begins with repression - 14 arrests at the Flamingos protest
    “After an August in which the Flamingo Movement showed that it can withstand the heat, the holiday season and the silence of part of the media, September is now starting very differently: with people in police custody, images of demonstrators being dragged away and 14 arrests.
    August was marked by daily vigils, diaspora actions and new forms of international solidarity. The diaspora returned symbolically and very specifically to Albania, including with the Global Sumud Flotilla from Brindisi to Vlora.
    The evening of September 1, the 94th consecutive day of the Flamingo Revolution, ended with clashes between demonstrators and police, at least one person injured, numerous removals and 14 arrests.
    The protest began like every evening in front of the government headquarters in Tirana. But this time the vigil was different than in the previous 93 days. Unlike previous evenings, none of the usual speeches were given on the “Dëshmorët e Kombit” boulevard. As news spread that Edi Rama was still in his office, the demonstrators walked to the entrances of the government headquarters and sat on the street on Rruga Ismail Qemali. In doing so, they blocked one of the main entrances that the Prime Minister and other government representatives use. (…) The live images as well as the recordings in the media and social networks showed people being dragged away, pushed and pushed into police vehicles. Mobile phones were confiscated, preventing those affected from contacting their relatives. A person could also be seen with an injured hand. (…) After the first arrests, the protest moved to police stations numbers 1 and 3. There, the demonstrators demanded information and the release of those detained. (…)
    A new “quality” of repression
    The arrests on September 1st are not an isolated case. We have already reported that over the course of the three-month mobilization, the police repeatedly used arrests, batons, tear gas, tear gas and water cannons against the protesters - particularly during the demonstrations in front of Parliament. However, the incident on September 1st represents a further level of escalation: there were no removals during the protest. 14 of those taken away were arrested and proceedings were opened for four different criminal offenses at the same time.”Article by Fioralba Duma from September 3, 2026 at Pressenza 
  • A festival of resistance in Albania: For three months, people in Albania have been protesting against the sell-out of their country. Mazyar R. was there and experienced their staying power.
    "The Flamingo Movement in Albania is like a daily festival of resistance. The continuous, creative participation of many people and groups creates fixed components and routine processes. During my stay in Tirana, I was at the evening demonstrations every day and had conversations with people. Anyone can give a speech on open stages. (...) Every evening a group of activists use artistic methods to write new messages or demands in large letters in the middle of the street. Drones record them and photograph them The government has these slogans removed during the day. This allows the activists to create a new image the next day. Flamingo signs and drums mark the beginning of the daily demonstrations through Tirana (...) Since May 2026, people have been gathering in front of government buildings in Albania's capital Tirana Head of State Edi Rama. The demonstrations quickly turned into anger against the entire political system in the country. Both the ruling party and the opposition experienced protests (…) The government cooperates with a handful of oligarchs in the country and controls them.The richest ten percent own half of the country's wealth, while the bottom 40 percent - the wage earners and the destitute - only have ten percent. The net average wage is 700 euros per month - the net median salary is only 500 euros. The pension differs greatly between the city with 190 euros and the country with 120 euros. Real estate and rental prices are rising rapidly. This particularly affects young people. Even Albanians in the diaspora are staging or participating in protests in Albania. The construction of luxury projects in nature reserves threatens several animal species. A law from 2024 will allow construction in protected areas if it is a "strategic investment." Signatures are currently being collected across the country for a referendum to repeal this law. The threatened animal species primarily include flamingos, which use these areas as breeding grounds. They have become a symbol of the protests. (…) The Albanian state is using various methods to suppress the protests. Participation may result in termination. Not only for those affected themselves, but also for family members. Water cannons are used against peaceful demonstrations and there are arbitrary arrests of activists. There is a method to state slander. Rama described the protests as part of a “hybrid war” being waged by enemies of Albania and Israel. He explicitly referred to Iran. Nevertheless, the protests continue. It is the collective action and the active participation of so many people that gives energy.(…) When I asked a participant on day 58 about his mood, he said: »We are now used to protesting every day. We don't know what else to do anymore." When I asked: "What do you want to change in Albania?" his colleague next to him replied: "Everything!" Report by Mazyar R. from September 4, 2026 at Socialism from Below 
• Protests in Albania: Is Kushner's luxury project about to end?
  “Trump son-in-law Kushner's luxury resort on Albania's coast, planned for a nature reserve, is faltering. Ongoing protests, corruption allegations and investigations are putting the government in Tirana under pressure.
  Most of the time, the Flamingo Revolution protests are peaceful, but on Thursday riots broke out. The demonstrators have surrounded the Albanian parliament, where the last session before the summer break is taking place. They throw eggs at the deputies' vehicles and also at the police. The emergency services respond with tear gas and water cannons. (…)
  When Prime Minister Edi Rama was asked in Brussels in mid-July why he was sticking with the Kushner project despite concerns, he tried to put the criticism into perspective. The EU Commission is a partner of Albania and is informed about all the facts, said Rama. The Albanian Prime Minister is trying to pander to the EU Commission. The demonstrators, Rama suggests, are completely exaggerating and saying false things. EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos also stood alongside Rama at the press conference. She emphasized that Albania must adapt its environmental protection standards to those of the EU. The protection of nature and the environment is a central prerequisite for joining the EU. To meet the criteria, Albania would have to “change a number of laws,” Kos said.
  Above all, the laws on strategic investments and nature reserves must be repealed, said Kos. Rama said he agrees that the Strategic Investment Law needs to be repealed. The Kushner project is still in the planning phase and will be compatible with EU law. It will “make Albania and Europe proud,” said the head of government.
  Is the project in danger of failing?
  However, the nature reserve is not the only problem with the project. Part of the intended beach area has now been confiscated by the independent Albanian anti-corruption prosecutor's office SPAK. The authority was set up under pressure from the EU and its investigations repeatedly cause conflicts with the Albanian government. The land confiscated by SPAK apparently belongs to a suspected Albanian drug trafficker who is wanted on an arrest warrant. The ownership documents are even said to be forged. The Kushner project is controversial in many respects and is probably currently on the brink of collapse.”Report by Oliver Soos, ARD Vienna, from July 25th, 2026 on tagesschau.de 
• “Flamingo protests”: Demonstrations in Albania including a protest camp in front of the government headquarters are expanding, as are arrests and police violence 
  • Albania: Flamingo killers exposed. A dossier and a glossy volume show how Prime Minister Edi Rama personally controls the country's real estate boom
    "Two recently published publications tell the same story from opposite directions. One, "The Albanian Files", is an almost 800-page glossy volume from the Swiss publisher Lars Müller Publishers with a foreword by Prime Minister Edi Rama. The volume presents 523 building projects from 60 international architectural firms in Albania - but there is not a single design from the country itself. The other new publication, published on Monday by the left-wing organization Progressive International under the title "The Edi Rama Files" published, sees a "criminal political economy" at work in the Albanian construction boom. The international architects provide the facade for this (...) The SPAK special prosecutor's office shows where the money comes from, as can be found in the "Edi Rama Files" In order no. 432 of June 10, the court ordered 20 arrest warrants and the freezing of assets worth the equivalent of more than 100 million euros Zvërnec, whose claim of ownership was based on a forged Ottoman document. The alleged owner, according to SPAK, a cocaine dealer, is said to have discussed drug logistics and real estate financed with "illegal means" on the Caribbean island of Aruba in 2019. The intercepted conversations from the files link crime, politics and oligarchy: In February 2021, the network considered paying two to three million euros to Samir Mane - owner of the Balfin Group. Developer of the coastal resort Green Coast and one of the most powerful oligarchs - so that he can act as an intermediary to obtain building permits for around 40 villas. The billion-dollar complex owned by Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump in the Narta lagoon shows the same mechanism.In 2021, Rama's Council of Ministers removed over 5,000 hectares from the protected area, followed by the "Nature Conservation Act" in 2024, followed by special investor status at the end of the year, and then the KKT approval. When the residents of Zvërnec tried to stop the excavators at the end of May, private security guards attacked in front of the police. Within days, the streets of Tirana filled up. For more than 40 days, tens of thousands have been calling for Rama's resignation, their symbol being the flamingos heading for the threatened lagoon. (…) The anger is fed by numbers: Between 2013 and 2024, the gross domestic product grew by 3.1 percent annually, supported by construction and tourism - with average wages of the equivalent of 700 to 800 euros and a minimum wage of 390 euros per month. In surveys, just 11.6 percent show trust in the government. In fifteen years, 700,000 people have left the country, and three quarters of those under 30 want to follow. While Tirana's skyline grows, there is a lack of social housing and infrastructure. The EU accession candidate Rama is selling the construction boom as progress, while people on the street are calling for expropriation.” Article by Fabio Nacci in the young world from July 11, 2026 
  • “Flamingo protests”: demonstrations in Albania are expanding
    “For 35 days in a row, people in Albania have been protesting against the construction of a luxury resort in a nature reserve in which Donald Trump's son-in-law is involved. But people have long been interested in more and participation is growing.
    At first it was just about flamingos, now it's about the conditions throughout Albania: In Tirana, the capital of the Balkan country, tens of thousands of people protested against a planned luxury construction project by Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner. According to the AFP news agency, it was the largest rally since the so-called Flamingo protests began in May. This has not been confirmed. Albanian media only reports an exceptionally strong turnout. (…) The daily protests are now also directed against the Albanian government. The demonstrators denounce corruption in the country and demand the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama. On Saturday, posters read: “Albania is not for sale.” Some called for the release of 19 protesters who were arrested following riots on Thursday. On Thursday, demonstrators gathered in front of Parliament to block MPs' access to the building. The police used tear gas and water cannons. The demonstrators threw eggs, stones and other objects and tried to break through the police lines. According to authorities, 15 police officers were injured and 25 demonstrators were arrested…”Agency report from July 5th, 2026 in Spiegel online 
  • “Flamingo Revolution”: Albania in uprising
    “It is no longer just against a planned luxury resort for the Trump family, but against the ruling system
    It's the 30th day in a row and Skanderbeg Square in central Tirana is filling up again. Behind the equestrian statue of the national hero, the noise increases before the train is even visible: whistles, chants, the honking of cars. It is a country of stark contrasts and a capital where Ottoman, socialist and postmodern layers overlap, where mosques and Catholic and Orthodox churches stand side by side and where too rapid modernization leaves much behind. Hawkers sell Albanian flags, traditional Qeleshe caps and pins. (…) A handful of men have been holding their position in front of the government headquarters for 15 days, day and night, in the shade of a tree - passers-by bring them water and food. Their spokesman, who wishes to remain anonymous, says that as he got out of the car he shouted the words "to prison or to the gallows" at Rama. The head of government then ordered a police officer to arrest him. He was first put in a cell and then in solitary confinement, in the “hole,” in order to humiliate him. He was released thanks to lawyers who sympathized with the protests. The men comment caustically on the fact that channels like Syri and Panorama are at the forefront: Berisha wants to pin the movement on his lapels, even though he himself is part of the system and rejects the reforms demanded…”Article by Fabio Nacci, Tirana, in the young world from July 6th, 2026 
  • The regime of the fence
    “Protests against privatization in Albania continue. The nature reserve, fenced in with barbed wire, represents an untenable order.
    For decades, under Enver Hoxha's dictatorship, Albania was a country surrounded by barbed wire. Its borders were guarded by bunkers, checkpoints and weapons that were directed not only against the outside world but also against its own population. The fence was the clearest symbol of a regime based not on trust, but on isolation, control and exclusion. Today, no one is erecting barbed wire on the republic's borders anymore, but the logic of the fence has returned. But today it is no longer Albania that is isolated from the world, but rather the Albanians from Albania itself, from the country and its resources.
    The fence is perhaps the most political element of construction. It encloses territories, isolates spaces, cuts up landscapes and creates privileges. For years we have seen how construction fences are fragmenting our cities. They have blocked sidewalks, destroyed parks, restricted freedom of movement and reduced the places where people meet and interact with one another. Fencing has now also reached beaches such as Rrjolli, Manastiri, Palasa and Dhërmi, as well as protected areas such as Vjosë-Narta - as if the privatization of public space were the only development model for Albania. These fences protect private interests and mobilize the entire authority of the state to do so. The public interest is kept outside the fence while the state puts itself at the service of those who hide behind it. (…)
    For years, activists, organizations and experts have fought these processes with arguments, legal means and institutions. When the institutions stopped listening and arguments no longer had any effect, the citizens themselves took over the defense of the public interest on streets and squares. Therefore, the civil resistance on the boulevard is not just a reaction to a fence in Zvërnec, but to a much longer process of fragmentation of territory, privatization of the common good and concentration of benefits in the hands of a few. (…) Perhaps that is why this conflict is not just about an area in Narta or Zvërnec, but about two different ideas about Albania: One sees the country as a mosaic of fenced-in spaces with limited access and reserved privileges. The other sees it as a republic in which territory, law and public interest are protected not by barbed wire but by democratic institutions…”Article by Doriana Musai from July 2nd, 2026 in ND online – Doriana Musai is an urban planner, architect and lecturer in urban planning. In her academic work, she critically examines urban transformation processes as well as urban planning and monument policy and is committed to civil society to protect public spaces and the right to the city in Albania. The article is translated from Albanian and first appeared on the Albanian online news portal “Citizens” in June 2026.
  • Demonstration in front of Parliament: clashes, arrests and allegations of police violence
    “After the demonstration in front of Parliament on July 2nd, 23 people were arrested by the state police. Seven of them have been arrested so far and are expected to be held in custody for up to 72 hours until they appear in court to apply for bail.
    First, demonstrators threw eggs at MPs' cars, including that of Parliament Speaker Niko Pelesh, while there were also clashes with other MPs as they entered and left the parliament building. Meanwhile, Democratic Party officials were greeted with chants of “You don’t represent us” and “Treasonous opposition.”
    Lawyer Gentian Sejrani, who is legally representing some of those arrested, told Citizens that the others are expected to remain in custody. According to Sejran, the crimes mentioned so far include “damaging property,” “resisting a police officer on duty,” “disturbing public peace,” and, in some cases, “taking part in unlawful gatherings.” (…) Hundreds of demonstrators have gathered near Police Station No. 1 to demand the release of those arrested. During their stay, demonstrators expelled several political representatives and insisted that the protest remain neutral. (…) While representatives of the governing majority, including the Prime Minister, have raised allegations of “dirt and violence,” activists have published videos on social media showing that the violence was provoked by the police.” AlbanianArticle by Elira Kadriu from July 2, 2026 in Citizens (machine translated)
  • The “Flamingo Revolution” returns to the European Parliament
    “The MEP from the Left Group, Pasquale Tridico, organized a panel discussion on “Democracy, the rule of law and citizen participation in Albania” in the European Parliament on Wednesday, July 1st.
    The event was attended by members of the European Parliament, representatives of left-wing parties from countries such as Portugal, Denmark, Italy, Greece, Germany and others, as well as numerous participants from the Albanian diaspora in Europe.
    Tridico opened the discussion by pointing out that this meeting supports developments in Albania, where women, men and young people have come together to raise their voices and make it clear that the Albanian environment must not be destroyed. He explained that this meeting helps MEPs to better understand what is happening in Albania. The MEP explained that he shared the Albanians' concerns and had therefore requested that this issue be placed on the agenda of the plenary session of the next session of the European Parliament, which will take place in Strasbourg next week. This request is still being examined by the Parliament's Bureau, but regardless they are committed to continuing to express themselves on the issue…” AlbanianEditorial article from July 2, 2026 in Citizens (machine translated)
• The “Flamingo Revolution” is heading to parliament on the 19th day of protests – despite more and more criminal proceedings and arrest warrants against those protesting against the sell-out
  • Albania: Protests against Trump resort are getting bigger and bigger – video
    “…The project is to be built in Zvernec, around 150 kilometers southwest of Tirana, in one of the last untouched coastal areas of the Albanian Adriatic - a flamingo breeding area. Protesters tore down barriers on Kakomes Beach and chanted: “The beaches belong to the people, not oligarchs.” The pictures went viral. What happened next surprised even experienced observers - the video shows how the situation has worsened dramatically since then. (…) Albanian authorities have now initiated criminal proceedings against dozens of protesters, most recently against 27 other demonstrators. Arrest warrants were also requested. It began at the end of May with clashes between police and demonstrators on a beach in southern Albania. What has become of this has surprised even experienced observers: thousands on the streets of Tirana every day, a protest movement that is making all of Europe sit up and take notice: the “Flamingo Revolution”. Albanians from abroad travel to their homeland specifically to take part. Last weekend, more people gathered than ever before…”Report by Christine Novotny from June 22nd, 2026 in the FR online  including video
  • Tirana: Renewed protests against Kushner construction project in Albania
    “…Criminal proceedings have been initiated against 27 other demonstrators due to renewed protests against a luxury construction project by Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner in Albania. The suspects are accused of violating public order and security, the police said. Thousands of people took to the streets in Tirana again on Friday evening in protest. Criminal proceedings had already been initiated against 35 demonstrators at the beginning of the week…”APA report from June 20, 2026 in derstandard.at andon ORF with some photos
  • “A very violent form of rule”: Albania is sold out, but there is resistance!
    “…In reality, the protests are driven by groups and organizations that have been politically active for many years: people whose land has been stolen by the government; People from the port city of Durrës whose houses were demolished by a US company; farmers in Dharda who are denied access to water by the operator of a hydroelectric power plant; feminist groups; environmentalists; People with disabilities. In addition, many young people are taking part, which is a new, very positive development - "Gen Z" was not represented at all in the protests of recent years. (…)
    As part of the reporting on the planned construction of an “eco-resort” in the middle of a bird sanctuary, it was recorded how an environmental activist was beaten by employees of a private security service. This was apparently the straw that broke the camel's back and the protests in Tirana began. Flamingos are among the birds threatened by the construction plans. This is how the protests got their name. We recently published an editorial in which we stated that the current protests are not just about the destruction of the Vjosa-Narta and Zvërnec nature reserves, but about the way Albania is governed in general. (…)
    We have been reporting on feminism in Albania since “Citizens.al” was founded, and some of our colleagues are also active in the movement themselves. All of us in the editorial team share a feminist consensus, which is reflected in our journalistic work on different levels. On the one hand, we look at all the topics we report on through a gender policy perspective. In concrete terms, this means that we try to get opinions from women in particular - for example with regard to what is happening in rural areas that are far away from the capital. (…)
    The tourism industry is extremely centralized, there are few local, small providers, instead there are huge resorts and hotels. There are also many private villas owned by rich Albanian families who have been exploiting the population of Albania for decades and are now building up the coast in the south with huge, ugly buildings. After destroying the cities, they now want a piece of land by the sea. There are areas here where almost exclusively rich Albanians live, not foreign capital - but that is another topic in itself. (…)
    [What are the working conditions in Albania, for example in the construction industry? In Germany this is a low-wage sector in which workers are also poorly protected.]
    First of all: There are currently no trade unions in Albania. The ones that existed under socialism were destroyed in the 1990s and people didn't trust them either. Attempts are currently being made to build new unions, but there is still a lot to do, especially in terms of building trust among workers. The situation regarding labor rights is very problematic. For example, people usually work much more than contractually agreed, days off and working time limits are ignored. All contracts are individualized; collective agreements do not exist. Quite often, the workers simply don't know what is actually in their employment contract. The government is really proud of the fact that there are no unions and advertises this to foreign investors.
    [And what about the issue of labor migration?]
    In Albania, as in Germany, in some areas mainly migrant workers are employed. However, this is mainly due to the fact that the Albanian workforce has emigrated in such large numbers, mostly to Germany, England and France. They work in nursing and healthcare systems in Western European countries, while in Albania these jobs are done by people from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and the Philippines. However, many of these people are in transit, so to speak: they are trying to get to the EU via Albania. This fact, in turn, contributes to the deterioration of working conditions, as employers often withhold these people's passports, even though this is a criminal offense in Albania. (…)
    A very recent event in “cooperation” with an EU state is the establishment of a deportation camp on Albanian soil. The whole thing is based on an agreement that the Albanian Prime Minister Edu Rama concluded with the Italian government. The people are supposed to be brought directly to this camp from ships on the Mediterranean, which various NGOs classify as illegal and violating human rights. So far, however, this "favor towards Italy" (Rama) has been quite a failure: there are currently no less than 25 people in the camp, which was built for over a million euros, and according to a court order they also have to be brought back to Italy. This is potentially about setting a dangerous precedent. 
    By the way, Rama also claimed that no money had flowed to Albania in this matter. But we find that difficult to believe, because the Albanian government never makes politics in the interests of the population, but rather uses the state for its personal enrichment. There is speculation that Albania's willingness to set up such camps could at least speed up the EU accession process. But due to the government's complete lack of transparency, we can only speculate so far.”Interview by Tanja Röckemann et. al. online on June 17, 2026 in ND with the progressive news portal “Citizens” about the “Flamingo Revolution”. This article is an edited version of a conversation with the editorial team of "Citizens" with participants in the educational trip "Tirana - Insights into Albania's change and contradictions" in the context of work and life in Saxony-Anhalt.
  • On the 19th day the protest moves to parliament.
    “Hundreds of demonstrators today decided to change the demonstration route and march to Parliament, where the next session was taking place. During the march there were clashes between citizens and deputies who were leaving the building.
    Amid calls for revolution, they accused government majority MPs such as Blendi Çuçi and Mirela Kumbaro, who had just left parliament, of corruption. The only MP who stopped in front of the protesting citizens was Ardit Bido. He approached the group of citizens but was met with resistance when he tried to speak to them. The demonstrators greeted him with shouts of “You thief”, while Bido replied that these shouts came “from a crowd of public cruelty”. Deputy Bido left the scene in the presence of police forces without any incident being recorded.
    The protest then moved to the Prime Minister's Office, where it has now been taking place for 19 days. (…) The flock of flamingos responded to Edi Rama's call for dialogue with a simple answer in “flamingo language”: “Rama, resign.”…”Albanian article by Entenela Ndrevataj from June 18, 2026 in Citizens (machine translated)
  • The “Flamingo Revolution” and the Limits of the “Hybrid Warfare” Test
    “The civil protest known as the “Flamingo Revolution” is one of the most significant civil society mobilizations in Albania in recent years. At the heart of it is dissatisfaction with the way the current system of political and economic power works and with the way decisions about public and natural resources are made. The protest was triggered by concerns about encroachments and the planned tourism project related to Jared Kushner in the Vjosa-Narta nature reserve; However, the movement has now evolved into a broader political demand for a more accountable, transparent system of government that serves the public interest.
    Although the protests have now been going on for 20 days, the citizens' concerns and demands have not yet been addressed. From the outset, Prime Minister Edi Rama has chosen to present the mobilization primarily in a different frame: as the result of “hybrid warfare”, malicious foreign influence, automated accounts and instrumentalization by actors such as Iran, Russia, Greek-speaking actors or other ideological and anti-Trump networks. This portrayal shifts the debate from the causes of citizen dissatisfaction to the supposed origins of online amplification.
    According to media reports, a confidential report from Blackbird.AI has recently been circulating. The report analyzes online posts about Jared Kushner's planned project in Zvërnec and classifies the analysis into a dataset titled "Kushner Investment in Albania." It identifies negative statements against the project, actors who reinforced them, and possible signs of collusion or suspicious behavior online. According to these reports, the document is being distributed privately, although it is not known who commissioned or funded it. It has not been officially presented by any Albanian institution, does not contain a detailed public methodology allowing independent verification and has not been subject to an open peer review process. It is precisely for this reason that the report urges us to read it carefully: what does it actually measure, what does it tell us and what does it not prove? (…)
    The document presents the subject of the analysis as a debate about the Jared Kushner-related investment in Albania and the “negative narratives” surrounding the project. This distinction is crucial. “Revolucioni Flamingo” is a citizens' movement whose scope goes beyond the online reputation of an investment project. It has raised concerns about legislative changes in protected areas, public consultation, transparency, public ownership, the quality of decision-making, the role of institutions and the relationship between private investment and the public interest. The report does not analyze these issues substantively; he primarily examines the digital narratives that have emerged around Kushner's planned project in Zvërnec. (…)
    The report is insightful as it shows how a local protest can diverge from its original context once it enters international online circulation. The “Flamingo Revolution” began with concerns about protected areas, public ownership, transparency and accountability. But the linking of the topic with names like Trump, Kushner or Israel meant that the protest was also taken up by actors and target groups outside Albania, who interpreted it against the background of their own political interests and conflicts. This shift is significant because it can change the understanding of the protest. A citizen mobilization for the management of public goods can be portrayed abroad as part of political struggles that do not correspond to those of the Albanian demonstrators. The report contributes to shedding light on this level of debate: the way in which the cause is amplified, reframed and exploited by actors who were not the cause of civil society discontent in Albania. (…)
    An honest public debate must clearly distinguish between three levels. The first level concerns the content of the protest: environment, public ownership, consultation, law and accountability. The second level is the information environment: How do narratives spread, who reinforces them, what content is problematic and where is there questionable behavior? The third level is the political instrumentalization of this or other reports: how a confidential document can be used to support an official narrative on the subject of “hybrid warfare.” Mixing these levels creates more confusion and does not provide clarity to the public.
    The “Flamingo Revolution” should be judged by the reasons that led citizens to take to the streets and by the reactions shown by the government and political actors to these reasons. Internet circulation can explain how a protest became part of the international debate. However, it does not explain why citizens continue their protest with such persistence.” AlbanianArticle by Blerjana Bino from June 19, 2026 in Citizens (machine translated)
• Flamingos against Trump. Albania: Tens of thousands demonstrate against luxury resort associated with the US President's family. The environmental protest has become a movement against Prime Minister Edi Rama
  “Under the slogan “Albania is not for sale,” tens of thousands of Albanians took to the streets for the sixth day in a row. The reason: the construction of a luxury resort by the US investment company of Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law and real estate shark. The project area includes Sazan - the country's largest island, uninhabited and a military restricted area for decades - as well as several hundred hectares of the Vjosa-Narta protected area, a sensitive coastal wetland with seals, nesting sites of sea turtles and flamingos. The flamingos in particular have become a symbol of mass protest: demonstrators gather on Skanderbeg Square in Tirana and march to the government headquarters with cardboard flamingo figures. The uproar against the sell-out of the country has long since become an anti-government movement - the "Flamingo Revolution"…”Article by Fabio Nacci in the young world from June 6th, 2026 
• Protests erupt in Albania against a huge resort construction project linked to Jared Kushner
  “Protests are growing in Albania against the construction of a massive vacation resort linked to Jared Kushner, President Trump's son-in-law. As early as 2024, Kushner and Trump's daughter Ivanka Trump wanted to invest $1.4 billion to convert an abandoned Soviet weapons base called Sazan into a luxury island resort. The island of Sazan is littered with unexploded ordnance from World War II, including artillery shells and submarine mines. Activists are now raising concerns that the resort will have an impact on wildlife, particularly the flamingos, seals and sea turtles that live in a coastal wetland. This is a local ecologist speaking…” EnglishInterview from June 4, 2026 on Democracy Now!  (machine translated)
• Shopping spree in the Balkans: resistance to Kushner's Albania plans
  “Donald Trump's presidency is enabling his family to do good business around the world. His son-in-law Jared Kushner is currently planning another major real estate project in the Balkans. A huge luxury resort is to be built on an Albanian island, but the population is against it. Kushner also wanted to build profitably in Serbia, but the project failed miserably. (…)
  Clashes at the construction site
  But the locals go to the barricades. “Albania belongs to the Albanians” and “Ivanka, go home” were the messages from thousands of demonstrators on Monday evening in Tirana. Since the end of May, people who fear that their country will be sold out to rich investors from abroad have been protesting against the project. The start of the resistance was an incident on the construction site in Zvernec. Fences reinforced with barbed wire were erected there to block locals and tourists from accessing the beach. Recently, video footage appeared online showing private security forces apparently attacking a demonstrator and then dragging him along a cliff, as Politico reported, among others. Other protesters who wanted to remove the fences were threatened. The Albanian authorities subsequently revoked the licenses of two private security companies and a security guard was arrested and imprisoned. A local police chief was suspended and charges were filed against about 15 protesters...”Report from June 3rd, 2026 on ORF 
  
• Protests against Kushner's $4 billion luxury resort are growing in Albania
  “Don’t defend the oligarchs, this is the property of the citizens!” shouted the demonstrators.
  Thousands of people in Albania took to the streets for the fourth consecutive day on Tuesday evening to protest against a $4 billion luxury resort project on Albania's largest island pushed by Jared Kushner. On Saturday, May 30, protests erupted near the construction site after developers erected barbed wire fences that blocked public access to the local beach and shoreline. Demonstrators tried to stop the construction work. After private security forces dragged a protester away, anger continued to rise.
  At the construction site, demonstrators shouted: “Don’t defend the oligarchs, this is the property of the citizens!” On Monday and Tuesday, protests spread to the capital Tirana, where thousands took to the streets. The demonstrators chanted "Albania belongs to the Albanians" and held signs with slogans such as "I don't want an Albania like Dubai" and "Hands off Vjosa-Narta" - a coastal protected area where the project will intervene.  The project is to be realized on Sazan, Albania's only island in the Mediterranean. Kushner, Donald Trump's son-in-law, announced plans to convert the island into a vacation resort in 2024. His wife Ivanka Trump has also commented on the island; She said she and Kushner discovered the island while vacationing in the area. (…)
  In January, 41 environmental organizations from 28 countries sent a letter to Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama calling for the project's "immediate suspension" because it poses "serious risks to biodiversity and vital habitats in the region," many of which are inhabited by endangered species.
  Rama agreed to the project to boost the country's tourism economy…” EnglishArticle on Shireen Akram-Boshar from June 3, 2026 on Truthout (machine translated)
• There are numerous opaque interests behind an Albanian resort project linked to Trump
  EnglishArticle by Vladimir Karaj from June 4, 2026 at Balkan Investigative Reporting Network with photos
• Protests against a luxury resort linked to Kushner are increasing in Albania
  “Protests are growing against a planned luxury resort in a nature reserve linked to Trump's son-in-law - and which Prime Minister Edi Rama has vehemently defended…” EnglishArticle by Blerina Gjoka from June 3, 2026 at the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network 
• Protect Vjosa–Narta: Stop Construction in Protected Natural Areas
  multilingualPetition on change.org 
• #albaniaisnotforsale

See also:Zall Gjocaj: A village as a symbol. The environmental movement in Albania is growing

The postFlamingo revolution in Albania against Jared Kushner's luxury resort in the Vjosa-Narta protected area has long affected more than environmental protection and privatizationappeared firstLabourNet Germany.