ISLAMABAD (GNP): British singer Dua Lipa has spoken out in support of protests against a planned luxury resort linked to US President Donald Trump’s family in Albania, describing the demonstrations as “inspiring” in a podcast episode published Tuesday.
The protests, which began in late May, target a proposed hotel development in a coastal nature reserve, connected to Trump’s daughter Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner. Speaking on her Service95 Book Club podcast alongside Albanian author Lea Ypi, Lipa, who has Kosovan-Albanian parents, said she shared demonstrators’ concerns over the transparency of the government’s approval process for the project.
The 30-year-old singer said what concerned her most was the principle that the government could alter environmental protection laws without public consultation. She said she found it inspiring to see the extent of public concern reflected in the daily demonstrations, adding that the underlying problem was structural and that rebuilding needed to happen in a way that supports the public.
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The resort project was first announced in 2024, but the current wave of protests intensified after barbed-wire fencing and bulldozers appeared on the affected beaches in late May. Opposition to the development has since grown into a broader flashpoint for public frustration over perceived corruption, with some demonstrators now calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama.
Local environmental activist Besjana Gurri welcomed Lipa’s remarks, calling them a powerful message to the Albanian government. Gurri said she was confident the singer’s voice would help draw greater international attention to the protest movement and amplify the concerns of demonstrators in Tirana.
Managing Editor at Global News Pakistan (GNP), with a Bachelor's degree in International Relations from Riphah International University, graduated with a Gold Medal. Reach out at sabahtareengnp@gmail.com
