Protesters Remove Fences at Albania Resort Site as Police Stand By

Around 200 protesters tore down metal and razor wire fences surrounding a luxury development site on Albania's Adriatic coast on Saturday. The action took place in the village of Rrjoll in northwestern Albania, an area of sandy beaches and pine forests. Protesters waved Albanian national flags and shouted "Revolution" as they removed the fencing.

Some scuffles with police broke out, but officers did not stop the removal. "The protests will not stop until the residents of the village of Rrjoll are compensated. We are 200 families whose land has been seized," said Zeke Nikolle Shullani, 56, one of the landowners.

An Albanian company is developing a five-star luxury tourist resort on the site. The project received "special status investor" designation from the Albanian government. "What is happening in this country is madness," said Nikolin Markpalaj, 60, another local landowner.

Protesters claim the resort is being built on land confiscated from 200 families. Land disputes have triggered demonstrations in recent months and are common in Albania due to poor record-keeping, complex history and local corruption. Protests against coastal construction projects in Albania have been ongoing for weeks.

Albanians have also demonstrated against a planned luxury resort near Vlora, an area known for flamingos and a turtle nesting site, that is linked to a company connected to Jared Kushner.