Top Line: The video is authentic — it shows residents in Kakome dismantling fences and toppling construction materials during June 2026 protests — but it was filmed miles from Sazan Island and the Zvernec peninsula linked to Jared Kushner’s announced project. Local reporting ties the Kakome action to long-standing access restrictions and broader anti-corruption grievances. Separate incidents near Zvernec did spur wider protests, but the Kakome footage does not show Kushner’s construction sites.
Fact Check: Kakome Protest Footage Is Real — But Miscaptioned As Vandalism Of Kushner-Linked Resort
Proud Socialist, accessed via X, illustrated by Snopes
The circulating video authentically shows Albanians dismantling fences and pushing a construction crate downhill, but it has been miscaptioned when presented as direct vandalism of Jared Kushner’s planned resort. Independent reporting confirms the scenes were filmed in Kakome in June 2026 and relate to long-standing local disputes over beach access and land rights — not to the Sazan Island or Zvernec sites publicly tied to Kushner’s announced investment.
What the Video Shows
Saranda Web and other local outlets documented protests in Kakome on June 21, 2026, where residents removed barriers and fences that they said had blocked access to the coastline for decades. The footage includes demonstrators waving Albanian flags, breaking fences and toppling construction materials; one placard visible at about 26 seconds reads, "Sazan no for sale!"
Why The Claim Is Misleading
Although some social media posts explicitly linked the Kakome footage to Jared Kushner’s planned resort, reporters and wire services confirm the Kakome site is miles from Sazan Island and the Zvernec peninsula, the areas where Kushner and partners have said they plan to invest. Separate protests and viral clips near Zvernec did help spark nationwide unrest, but the Kakome clips do not show construction on Sazan or Zvernec.
Background And Broader Context
Protests in late May and June 2026 focused on broader grievances: alleged corruption, restricted public access to beaches and coastline, and anger at powerful business interests and officials. A late-May video of an incident near Zvernec — where security guards were seen detaining a protester — intensified demonstrations in Tirana and other towns. International outlets, including Reuters and The New York Times, covered these events and reported that some villagers claim land was sold improperly, though Reuters did not find documentary evidence directly tying Kushner to any sale.
Official And Company Responses
Authorities canceled the licenses of the security companies involved in the May 30 incident and ordered the contentious fence removed. Albanian officials have repeatedly denied that Sazan has been sold or that active construction tied to Kushner is underway. Sazan Real Estate Development LLC says Kushner is participating in a personal capacity; the firm and reporting make a distinction between public anger at domestic elites and direct culpability by foreign investors.
Related Reporting
Ivanka Trump has described Sazan Island in public comments and Kushner posted renderings of proposed coastal developments in 2024. Independent fact-checkers and outlets (for example, Snopes) have reported on unrelated past controversies involving Kushner properties elsewhere; those are background context but do not prove that the Kakome footage shows Kushner’s construction sites.
Bottom Line
The video authentically depicts Albanians protesting and tearing down long-standing barriers at Kakome in June 2026, but it does not show construction on Sazan Island or the Zvernec peninsula. Because the footage has been used to imply direct vandalism of Jared Kushner’s project, the claim is miscaptioned.
Sources: Reporting from Reuters, The New York Times, Saranda Web, Albania Daily News, The Guardian; public statements by Ivanka Trump; archival and fact-check reporting from Snopes.
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