AILSA CHANG, HOST:
Thousands of Albanians have taken to the streets this week. They're protesting a planned luxury resort that's connected to President Trump's daughter, Ivanka, and son-in-law, Jared Kushner. The project would be built near one of the Adriatic's most sensitive wetlands. It's a place that's home to endangered birds, Mediterranean monk seals and other wildlife. The Albanian government says the resort will bring jobs and investment. But as Megan Williams reports, protesters say the deal has been pushed forward with little transparency.
(CROSSTALK)
MEGAN WILLIAMS, BYLINE: The protests began at the edge of wild dunes near Zvernec, on Albania's beach-lined Adriatic coast. Giant rolls of barbed wire cut off access to the dunes with police and private guards standing behind.
STAVRI BALLI: (Yelling in non-English language).
WILLIAMS: Local people, many of them older villagers like Stavri Balli, angrily insisted the barrier be removed. For local residents, the battle over the Narta wetland is as much about protecting their land as it is about conservation, with many claiming the government has allowed developers to seize property that rightfully belongs to them. But Narta is also one of the richest natural areas in the Mediterranean and a stopover for some 200 bird species, from Dalmatian pelicans to flamingos.
(SOUNDBITE OF PROTEST)
UNIDENTIFIED PROTESTERS: (Chanting in non-English language).
WILLIAMS: By midweek, pink flamingos had become the symbol of wider anger, with plastic ones bobbing above the heads of protesters in the capital, Tirana. Marchers also held signs that read - Ivanka, keep your hands away from Narta. The planned luxury resort on a former military island in a pristine stretch of coastline is linked to Jared Kushner, President Trump's son-in-law and special envoy. A spokesperson says the site is being developed by Sazan Real Estate Development LLC, not by Kushner's Affinity Partners, and that investors are involved in their personal capacity. Ivanka Trump herself recently praised the proposed construction site during an appearance on the David Senra podcast.
(SOUNDBITE OF PODCAST, "FOUNDERS")
IVANKA TRUMP: I'm working on an incredible project with my husband in the Mediterranean. It's massive in scale.
WILLIAMS: The project is worth an estimated $1.6 billion. Environmentalists say there's been no public consultation or documentation of permits. Ecologist Joni Vorpsi with PPNEA-BirdLife Albania says the scale would overwhelm the protected area.
JONI VORPSI: In this stretch of land, of wildlife habitat - plan to build a new city, so we won't have anymore the protected area.
WILLIAMS: Developers say they will move ahead responsibly, and Prime Minister Edi Rama is defending the project.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
PRIME MINISTER EDI RAMA: (Non-English language spoken).
WILLIAMS: On Wednesday insisting, as long as he's in power, it will go ahead.
(SOUNDBITE OF BULLDOZERS RUNNING)
WILLIAMS: Near the wetlands, bulldozers are already cutting tracks through the sand. But opponents say this resort is not a done deal. Albania's anti-corruption prosecutors are now looking into legal changes involving protected areas.
(SOUNDBITE OF PROTEST)
UNIDENTIFIED PROTESTERS: (Chanting in non-English language).
WILLIAMS: In Albania, protesters say they'll keep pushing too. For NPR News, I'm Megan Williams. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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