Albania Frees Kushner-Linked Resort Protesters

The project was first unveiled in 2024. The latest wave of protests began in late May, after barbed-wire fencing and bulldozers appeared on beaches. For many Albanians, that was not exactly a subtle invitation to trust the process.

Nightly demonstrations have taken place since May. opposition to the resort has since widened into a broader protest movement against the government and alleged corruption.

Demonstrators have chanted “New Albania” and “Edi Rama, resign,” naming the country’s prime minister directly in their demands.

Thursday’s protest turned violent

The protests had been overwhelmingly peaceful, drawing thousands of people into the streets each day. That changed last Thursday, when hundreds of demonstrators gathered outside parliament for the second time in a week.

Protesters attempted to confront politicians and block entry to the building. Police responded with tear gas, pepper spray and water cannon.

Some demonstrators tried to push through police lines and threw eggs, stones and other objects. Authorities said 15 police officers were injured, and 25 demonstrators were detained.

The violence was striking because it broke sharply from the daily gatherings that had defined the movement until then. It also appeared to deepen public attention rather than quiet the protests.

Saturday brought the largest rally yet

On Saturday evening, tens of thousands of people rallied again in Tirana, chanting “Free the boys” in what became the largest demonstration since the movement began.

The slogan referred to the detained protesters whose cases were heard on Sunday. Their release may ease one immediate flashpoint, but it does not resolve the wider anger that has gathered around the resort project.

Opposition to the development has come to stand for wider concerns about perceived corruption and political accountability. The demands now include Rama’s resignation, not simply a halt to construction.

That mistrust has been building for months. Earlier this year, violent clashes broke out as protesters demanded the resignation of Rama’s deputy, Belinda Balluku, over alleged corruption. Balluku was later fired, but the public suspicion surrounding the government did not disappear with her dismissal.

For now, the resort remains the visible trigger. The harder issue for Albania’s leaders is that the protests are no longer only about a resort.