Albania Protests Erupt Over Kushner-Backed Luxury Resort Amid Viral Misinformation Campaign]

Protests entered their fourth consecutive day in Albania on Thursday, sparked by plans for a $1.6 billion luxury resort development linked to Jared Kushner, son-in-law of former U.S. President Donald Trump. Online misinformation has complicated the demonstration, with false videos circulating that misrepresent past events as current unrest.

A video showing a burning house garnered over a million views, falsely claiming it depicted the residence of Prime Minister Edi Rama and was set ablaze by protesters. In reality, the footage dated to February and showed damage to the property of former communist leader Enver Hoxha following anti-government protests that occurred earlier.

Another viral clip claimed to show thousands demonstrating against Kushner’s project with signs reading “Albania is not for sale.” This footage also proved out of context, actually showing supporters of Spanish football club Deportivo de la Coruna celebrating promotion in May.

The current protests center on a coastal development project proposed by a company linked to Kushner’s private equity firm, Affinity Partners. The plan includes construction on the uninhabited island of Sazan, a former military base, and within a protected wetland reserve home to flamingos, seals, and sea turtles. Protesters view the development as a threat to the ecosystem, adopting the flamingo as their symbolic emblem in what they’ve termed the “Flamingo Revolution.”

Ivanka Trump recently described discovering the site during a casual boat stop in a podcast interview, saying they were “captivated” by the view. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Rama has defended the project, arguing it will significantly boost Albania’s tourism sector as the country pursues European Union membership.

Albanian authorities granted the Kushner-linked firm special investor status, prompting public backlash over concerns the move represents the sale of national land. The prosecution office has opened an investigation into the legislative changes, though no further details have been released.

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