More recently, demonstrations have spread beyond the capital, Tirana, with protesters vandalizing government buildings, as well as setting them on fire in violent clashes in Durrës, Shkodër, Lezhë, Vlora, Gjirokastër and Korçë. Anti-riot police have responded with tear gas, water cannons and rubber bullets, according to both NPR and the BBC. There have been no fatalities, but estimates put the number of injured at just over 200. Those numbers include officers, protesters and media.
The move to more violent clashes marks a new phase in Albania’s crisis. Protesters have been demanding the resignation of Rama since May, but the most recent demonstrations reflect anger over the cost of living and education.
“The demonstrations are huge because people are tired of this injustice,” protester Lizander Saraci told The Guardian back in June. “They’re tired of all the corruption. One of our slogans is ‘Stop the dictatorship of dirty money’ because we’ve learned from experience that similar projects only ever benefit a wealthy few.”
But Rama, for his part, has told A2CNN he will not resign until he is voted out. “I am and will remain in my position until the last day with the ordinary people of Albania,” he said.
Origins of the project
The controversy started as Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner moved forward with a years-long plan to build a luxury resort on Sazan Island.
Speaking with podcaster David Senra, Ivanka Trump, President Trump’s eldest daughter, described how she first “found” Sazan Island while vacationing on a friend’s boat.
The group swam to Sazan and hiked barefoot across the island. She said she was so “captivated” by the experience that it remained top of mind ever since.
Since 2024, Kushner has worked with Albanian government officials to obtain development rights, according to The New York Times. The resort is set to be built on Sazan Island, a former Cold War-era military base that’s now abandoned. Kushner’s private equity firm, Affinity Partners, is providing financial backing for the Albanian development.
Rama has rebuffed the protests, saying, “It is a blind struggle, fuelled by the most irrational hatred.”
Part of the Zvernec Peninsula has also been set aside for a second project. Environmental groups have raised concerns because the area includes wetlands that are home to flamingos, pelicans and sea turtles. If completed, the developments will include over 10,000 hotel rooms built alongside seaside villas.
