Activists Clash with Police Over Sazan Island Development
Albania is witnessing a 'Flamingo Revolution' as protesters challenge Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner's plan to transform a Cold War-era military base on Sazan Island into a luxury hotel. The island, Albania's largest, is a designated military exclusion zone located strategically between the Strait of Otranto and the Bay of Vlorë. It hosts Europe's last wild river delta, home to critically endangered species like the Balkan lynx, Mediterranean monk seal, and thousands of pink flamingos.
Kushner and Trump's project, backed by Saudi investors, threatens this fragile ecosystem. Activists have clashed with police, erecting signs reading 'Albania is not for sale,' 'Hands off Albanian soil,' and 'Sazan is not a private island, it belongs to the Albanian people.'
Lack of Transparency Sparks Outrage
Aleksandër Trajçe, executive director of the Protection and Preservation of the Natural Environment in Albania (PPNEA), told The Guardian: 'From start to finish there has been a total lack of transparency. We have seen no public consultation or public documentation regarding permits, and so now what we are saying is, if they remove the bulldozers, remove the fence and restore the habitats to what they were, then we can start talking.'
Prime Minister Edi Rama defended the approach, telling CNN: 'The challenge is not to pour concrete over the heads of flamingos. The challenge is to prove that development and nature can not only coexist, but that nature and development need each other.'
Thousands Join Flamingo Revolution Protests
The movement has drawn thousands to the streets, protesting not only the development but broader frustrations with the government's land access policies. An anti-corruption investigation has been launched into how Kushner acquired the land without public tenders, bypassing standard procedures.
Albanian law declares sea and sand as public property, but newly erected fences on the island have fueled anger. A 2024 law permits 'structures of excellence, five stars or more' in environmentally protected areas, enabling this project.
Environmental and Legal Concerns
Melitjan Nezaj, an environmental biologist at PPNEA, told CNN: 'The project is quite destructive, since it’s actually planned to be built within a protected area, within a protected landscape, which is actually one of the most intact wetlands in the Mediterranean.'
Despite opposition, Ivanka Trump appears committed. She told a podcast: 'You can’t just, like, impose yourself upon a country or culture — you have to understand it first to do it in a beautiful and delicate and meaningful way.'
