Rrjoll, Albania. About 200 protesters on Saturday tore down metal and razor wire fences surrounding a luxury development site on Albania’s Adriatic coast, as opposition to construction in environmentally sensitive areas continued to grow. The demonstrators said the project was being built on confiscated land belonging to local families.
Protest at resort construction site
Villagers from Rrjoll, an area of sandy beaches and pine forests in northwestern Albania, gathered at the site and removed the fencing while waving Albanian national flags and shouting “Revolution.” Some scuffles broke out with police, but officers did not stop the protesters from taking down the barriers.
Landowners demand compensation
“The protests will not stop until the residents of the village of Rrjoll are compensated. We are 200 families whose land has been seized,” said Zeke Nikolle Shullani, 56, one of the landowners who have been protesting for several months.
“What is happening in this country is madness,” said Nikolin Markpalaj, 60, another local landowner. “We asked the investors to come and consult with the people but they refused. They think they can take all this wealth without blood or anything else that might happen here?”
Broader opposition to coastal development
Albanians have been protesting for weeks against a planned luxury resort near Vlora, an area known for its flamingos and a turtle nesting site. That project is backed by a company linked to Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of U.S. President Donald Trump.
Project status
An Albanian company has been developing a five-star luxury tourist resort at the Rrjoll site. The Albanian government granted the project “special status investor.”