What is "Kinner Island," and why are Albanians protesting it?

Demonstrators gathered in the capital, Tirana, and in the protected Vjosa-Nurret lagoon on the Adriatic coast of the country, where activists say a project threatens one of the most important points of biodiversity in the Mediterranean, Telegraph broadcast.

Waveping Albanian flags and carrying swollen pink flamingo - which have become a symbol of movement - protesters cheered"Anuloje project! "and marched under banners writing"Ivanka go home"and"Albania is not for sale".

But what exactly is Kouchner Island, where is it, and why has it become such a hot political point?

What's the story of Saban Island?

"Silul Kouchner"is an unofficial nickname for Saban Island, a largely uninhabited Albanian centre in the Mediterranean at the centre of a controversial development of a luxury resort supported by Jared Kouchner, the son-in-law of US President Donald Trump.

The term is popularised by critics and activists who argue that the scale of the project could radically transform the island.

The island has a long military history. During the Ottoman period, it was largely uninhabited, but its location made it an important maritime post.

After Albania's independence in 1912, the island's control became subject to competitive claims by regional powers.

In 1914, Italy conquered Saban, known for the Italians as Saseno. The island was officially assembled to Italy after World War I and became a heavily fortified military base.

During Benito Mussolini's reign, Italian forces built military, barracks and coastal protection there, using the island to control access to the Adriatic Sea.

After World War II, the island returned to Albania and became one of the country's most secret military sites under Enver Hoxha's communist regime.

With an area of some 5,7 square miles [5.7 sq km], it is Albania's largest island and is known for its broken coastline, abandoned tunnels and hundreds of Cold War bunkers. What is the involvement of Jared Kouchner on Saban Island?

Jared Kouchner is supporting development through his investment firm, Affinity Partners. The proposed project, worth about 1.4 billion euros, will transform a portion of Saban Island into a luxury resort of hotels, villas, apartments, a navy and other luxury facilities.

The project has prompted opposition from environmental groups and local activists, who argue it threatens sensitive ecosystems and lacks sufficient transparency.

Supporters, including the government of Albania, say they will create jobs, attract foreign investments and promote tourism. The project has been promoted as a high-level <x0ecological"targeting wealthy international visitors.

Where is Saban Island?

The island is located near Albania's southwest coast at the point where the Adriatic Sea meets the Ionian Sea, near the city of Vlora. It lies along the Albanian Revolution, one of the fastest growing tourist destinations in the Mediterranean and facing Italy.

For most of the 20th century, the island served as a military base and was largely closed to the public. Its strategic location made it an important point both during the Italian occupation and during Albania's communist era.

Why do protesters hold flamingo images?

Pink flamingo has become a symbol of opposition to the development backed by Kouchner. Protesters carry banners, costumes and banners to draw attention to concerns about the environmental impact of large-scale tourist projects along Albania's coast.

The symbol appeared for the first time during demonstrations against the development of resorts in the sensitive coastal leagues around nearby Naurts, an important habitat for flamingos and other migratory birds.

Activists later adopted the flamingo more widely as a symbol of environmental protection and resistance to what they see as unstable coastal development.

As protests against the Saban Island project increased, flamingo became the defining image of the movement. Demonstrators have organized gatherings carrying pink giant flamingos and wearing flamingo-themed costumes, leading some to describe the campaign as Albania's"Revolution"

For supporters of the movement, the bird represents both the protection of Albania's natural heritage and the opposition to developments they believe give luxury tourism priority over environmental preservation and public access.