For the second day in a row, thousands of people gathered in Tirana to protest a luxury tourism project on Sazan Island, a protected national park.

The project has been granted strategic investor status, which guarantees special privileges and expedited procedures under Albanian law. The designation was awarded to Atlantic Incubation Partners LLC, a company linked to the business network of Jared Kushner, Trumps son-in-law and U.S. mediator in various global conflicts.

The plan calls for a 1.4 billion luxury resort that will span 45 hectares of Sazan Island. The commission that approved the status was chaired by Edi Rama himself, the countrys current Prime Minister.

Sazan Island is part of the Karaburun-Sazan Marine National Park, one of Albanias most important protected ecosystems. Environmental groups argue that the area is vital for biodiversity, particularly for the Mediterranean monk seal, one of the worlds rarest marine mammals. Meanwhile, the nearby Vlor-Narta lagoon is under increasing pressure from two major projects: the government-backed Vlor International Airport and large-scale tourism projects in the Vjosa-Narta and Sazan areas linked to Jared Kushners business interests.

The lagoon is one of Europes most important wetlands and a vital part of the Vjosa Delta ecosystem. It is home to more than 200 bird species and serves as a key stopover for migratory birds in the Mediterranean, including flamingos and pelicans.

Under the slogan Albania is not for sale, protesters are calling for the project to be scrapped and for Rama to resign.

Pressenza IPA