Protesters tear down fences at Albania luxury coast development site

About 200 protesters tore down metal and razor-wire fences at a luxury development site in Rrjoll on Albania’s Adriatic coast on Saturday, turning a local land dispute into a sharper challenge to how the country is opening its shoreline to wealthy investors. The crowd waved Albanian flags and shouted revolution as police scuffled with demonstrators, but the fencing came down and the confrontation exposed how deeply coastal construction has angered residents near Shkodra.

Villagers said the land had been confiscated, and they demanded compensation before any project could move ahead. One protesting landowner, Zeke Nikolle Shullani, said the protests would not stop until residents were paid. Another landowner, Nikolin Markpalaj, said local people had been asked to accept outside investors without proper consultation, asking how wealth could simply be taken away without consequences.

The scene in Rrjoll was the latest flashpoint in a wider campaign that has gripped Albania for weeks. Thousands took to the streets of Tirana on June 3, June 4 and June 10, with the June 10 rally described as the largest yet against a planned five-star resort linked to Jared Kushner. Protesters have rallied behind the slogan “Albania is not for sale,” framing the issue as one of national ownership, not just local planning.

That resort is planned near the Vjosa-Narta protected area, a wetland known for flamingos and sea turtle nesting sites, which has made environmental concerns central to the backlash. The project has been described as costing about 5 billion euros, or $5.8 billion, and as being advanced by an Albanian company that has received special investor status from the government. Prime Minister Edi Rama has defended the development despite the protests, widening the political split over whether strategic investment should override conservation and community objections.

The fight has also spilled beyond the original project site. Another proposed development linked to Jared Kushner and the Trump family on Sazan Island has drawn fresh scrutiny, adding to the sense that Albania’s coastline is becoming a national battleground over land use, foreign capital and public trust. In Rrjoll, the torn-down fence became a symbol of how quickly opposition can harden when residents believe the rules are being written for developers first and communities last.