Jun 14

Jun 14 Albanians Reject Ivanka

Chicago, Demonstrations, Donald J. Trump, Parades, Performance, Protest, Public Declarations

Today, 150 members of Chicago’s Albanian community gathered in Millennium Park to call out Jared Kushner’s plans to build a luxury resort on Sazan Island off the coast of Albania. Kushner and his wife, Ivanka Trump, were vacationing with a friend on his yacht when they decided to take a quick swim in the Ionian Sea. Soon they found themselves exploring Sazan Island. Ivanka claims that the couple fell in love with the island. As everyone knows, what Ivanka wants, Ivanka gets, which probably explains why Kushner decided to launch the project.

Kushner’s Affinity Partners is planning the development with an affiliate, Atlantic Incubation Partners, LLC. The Albanian government fast-tracked Kusher’s effort by awarding it “Strategic Investor” status, meaning the government would expedite the permitting process and offer economic incentives. Kushner’s firm then purchased the island for $1.4 billion and also agreed to expend $4.7 billion for development costs.

While the Albanian government may have greenlighted the project, the project is not without controversy. The Albanian Special Prosecution Office Against Corruption and Organized Crime (SPAK) has confirmed that it opened an investigation into 2024 legislation that changed the status of Sazan Island, which had been a protected ecosystem.

Thousands of Albanians have been marching daily in the streets of Tirana in opposition to the development, which is just the tip of the iceberg. The protesters have larger concerns regarding Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, and what the protesters claim is his unchecked power. The European Union has also raised concerns, which may undercut Albania’s efforts to join the EU.

Kushner had previously met with Rama on a yacht trip and at Davos. Rama hopes to make Albania a destination for luxury travel, so Kushner’s proposed development appeals to him. During the Cold War, Albania was a poor nation that was best described as the European equivalent to North Korea. Rama hopes to change Albania’s status.

Kushner’s Albanian plans are part of his larger development effort involving Serbia. Although Kushner has been working on the Sazan project for two years, the public’s opposition exploded three weeks ago when workers erected fencing and razor wire along the island’s perimeter.

In recent weeks, the protests against the project have expanded beyond Albania’s borders. I was told by one organizer of today’s Millennium Park demonstration that Albanians throughout the world were also taking to the streets today. This gentleman specifically mentioned London and New York.

While I give the protesters in Millennium Park credit for expressing themselves, the organizers have much to learn about staging an effective demonstration. First, and foremost, Millennium Park is not the ideal location for a protest. Given all the tourists, the park is filled with too much commotion, which meant that today’s demonstration blended into an undifferentiated mass. If the Albanians decide to take to the streets again, they should hold the next demonstration in the plaza outside the Wrigley Building or in Jane Byrne Park, which is otherwise known as Water Tower Park. Both locations are frequently used by the Ukrainians, anti-Putin Russians, and Iranians for their demonstrations.

Second, I was told by the lead organizer that the protest had been scheduled from 2:00 PM to 7:00 PM. That time span is much too long. To be effective, a protest must be a concentrated effort. I found myself standing around with the protesters for an hour after my 2:00 PM arrival as they huddled in groups of three and four chatting while they awaited the program to begin.

Third, the Albanians needed a more robust program than the one that sloppily unfolded today. Only a few people spoke. My impression was that several of those speeches were spontaneous ones. As is typical with heritage groups, too many of speeches were delivered in the native language rather than English, which raises the obvious question: Are you speaking to yourselves or to the public at large?

Fourth, the Albanians need better signage. For the first hour, I saw very few signs. As people arrived. so did more signs, although much of the signage was poorly made and difficult to read. Moreover, the message on too many signs were written in Albanian, which meant passersby had no idea why these people were demonstrating. The best sign read, “Kushner Fuck-Off,” because it gave some sense of why this group had come together.

Fifth, far too many people were on their cellphones or scrolling screens. The visuals were awful. Are these people more concerned about their Instagram feeds than what is happening in Albania? Is the speaker really that boring?

Sixth, when heritage demonstrators sing their home country’s national anthem, they should also sing the U.S. National Anthem. Doing so conveys the message that the demonstrators are Americans first. Unlike Chicago’s Ukrainians, the Albanians only sang what I presume was the Albanian National Anthem.

On the positive side, I certainly appreciated the red shirts and flags, as did another photographer I spoke with. Next time, everyone should show up dressed in red and black.

Probably the most noteworthy incident occurred when a lone demonstrator appeared with a large pole with both the Albanian flag and a “Trump Sucks” flag flying from it. One of the organizers approached the man, seemingly telling him to go somewhere else. From what I surmised, the organizers did not want to conflate their cause with a broader anti-Trump message. The man refused to leave, resulting in the incident growing more confrontational. Before any shoving took place or punches were thrown, a Millennium Park security guard arrived on the scene. He managed to resolve the dispute by pointing out that the Millennium Park rules prohibit the use of poles in the park.

When I asked whether the Albanians planned to march, I was told “No,” because they did not have a permit. I certainly am not going to advise any group that they can march without a permit, but my impression is that most of the marches downtown take place without permits.

Shortly thereafter, I saw a member the Chicago Police Department officer in charge of monitoring the demonstration asking the demonstrators whether they planned to march. At the point, the Albanians apparently decided to march after the officer seemingly gave the go ahead.

The group then marched to Michigan Avenue, where they proceeded north to the Wrigley Building. When they arrived at the Wrigley Building, I headed home, but the group apparently returned to Millennium Park. If the Albanians return to the streets of Chicago for a march, they should utilize a large banner.

Whether we will see a follow-up demonstration is open to question. We might if the Kushner project continues to move forward, or if Prime Minister Rama further cracks down on dissent.

[Click on an Image to Enlarge It. The Images Are Not Necessarily in Exact Chronological Order]