Protests in Helsinki against Trump family’s planned luxury resort in Albanian nature reserve

Albanians living in Finland will stage a protest in Helsinki’s Kampintori square at around 14:00 today against a luxury resort project planned by the family of former US president Donald Trump in Albania, Yle reports.

The development, linked to Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner, is planned for Sazan Island on Albania’s southwest coast, near the protected Vjosa-Narta nature reserve. The area is a key breeding and migration site for flamingos and other birds, and the protest movement has adopted the name “Flamingo Revolution.”

Protests have been held in Albania for over 20 days. Demonstrators accuse the Albanian government of supporting the project despite corruption concerns and the lack of environmental assessments or construction permits. Authorities claim ongoing work is limited to technical and environmental surveys.

Local conservation group PPNEA reports that bulldozers have already entered a fenced-off section of the site. The Vjosa-Narta reserve, designated Europe’s first free-flowing river national park in 2023, hosts diverse species including beavers, sea turtles, and bottlenose dolphins.

Ivanka Trump has described discovering Sazan Island during a swim with friends, calling the experience “completely enchanting.” Albania, one of Europe’s poorest countries, attracted a record 12 million tourists last year.