TIRANA, June 14 (BV) – Around 200 protesters tore down metal and razor-wire fences surrounding a luxury tourism development site on Albania’s Adriatic coast on Saturday, escalating opposition to large-scale projects in environmentally sensitive areas and reigniting a debate over land ownership and tourism-driven development.
The protest took place in the village of Rrjoll in northwestern Albania, where residents say the project is being built on land that was confiscated from local families decades ago and never properly returned.
Carrying Albanian flags and chanting “Revolution,” demonstrators entered the construction area and dismantled protective barriers surrounding the site.
Witnesses reported minor scuffles with police, although security forces did not intervene to stop protesters from removing the fencing.
“The protests will not stop until the residents of Rrjoll are compensated. Around 200 families have been left without their land,” said local landowner Zeke Nikolle Shullani.
The development, which has been granted strategic investment status by the Albanian government, involves the construction of a five-star tourism complex as part of the country’s broader efforts to attract foreign investment and expand its tourism industry.
“What is happening in this country is madness,” resident Nikola Markpalaj said. “We asked the investors to meet and speak with the local community, but they refused.”
The demonstration comes amid a wider wave of protests across Albania against tourism and real estate projects that critics say threaten protected coastal ecosystems and disregard local property rights.
In recent weeks, thousands of demonstrators have gathered in Tirana to oppose a planned luxury tourism development near Zvërnec, in southern Albania. Protesters argue that the project could damage a protected coastal area known for its flamingo habitats and sea turtle nesting sites.
The project has attracted particular attention because of reported business links to investors associated with Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of U.S. President Donald Trump.
Prime Minister Edi Rama’s government has defended the investments, arguing that high-end tourism projects are essential for economic growth, job creation and transforming Albania into a leading Mediterranean tourism destination.
The disputes have increasingly highlighted tensions between economic development, environmental protection and unresolved land ownership claims that have persisted since the collapse of Albania’s communist regime more than three decades ago.
As opposition grows in both northern and southern coastal regions, the government faces mounting pressure to balance investment ambitions with local concerns over property rights and environmental preservation.