President Donald Trump’s son-in-law has a formidable new opponent: a pink flamingo.Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.The protected bird has emerged as the symbol of a surging protest movement against a Jared Kushner-backed plan for a luxury resort on the picturesque Adriatic coast.The $1.6 billion project has drawn thousands of protesters — some wielding inflatable flamingos — to the streets of Albania’s capital over fears the planned tourist complex threatens an ecologically sensitive area that is home to pristine beaches and a variety of protected species.Large protests in Tirana this week saw chants of “Albania is not for sale,” as demonstrators clashed with police, who responded with water cannons.
Protesters gathered Thursday outside Prime Minister Edi Rama’s residence chanting “revolution” and calling for his resignation.Protesters hold pink flamingo cutouts in Tirana, Albania, on Wednesday.Hameraldi Agolli / AP Photo/Hameraldi AgolliThe project is being led by Affinity Partners, Kushner’s investment firm.It includes plans to develop a stretch of coastline in the area of the protected Vjosa-Narta delta and the nearby uninhabited island of Sazan, which was once a secret communist military base.The 2.2 square mile island is roughly twice the size of New York City’s Central Park, though only a portion of the land area will be built on under the proposal.Critics of the plan have accused Rama of trying to gain favor with the White House with the project, which was approved just days before Trump took office last year.They also fear that it could affect the island’s pristine beaches and critical biodiversity areas while displacing thousands of migratory birds that pass through the area.It’s also the country’s only breeding ground for flamingoes.“It’s one of the most amazing habitats that we have when it comes to protected areas and coastal wetlands,” Joni Vorpsey...