Hundreds demonstrated in Belgrade against Jared Kushner’s luxury hotel project at former army headquarters site, citing cultural heritage concerns.
BELGRADE: Hundreds protested on Tuesday against plans to demolish Belgrade’s former army headquarters for a luxury hotel complex linked to Jared Kushner.
The student-led demonstration targeted the project four days after parliament classified the redevelopment as urgent through special legislation.
Kushner’s Affinity Partners secured a 99-year lease for the site in 2024 after officials revoked its protected cultural asset status.
The building holds sensitivity as it was damaged during US-led NATO strikes that ended the 1998-99 Kosovo war.
An investigation into allegedly falsified documents regarding the site’s protection led to the project’s suspension in May.
“They can now legally destroy this building, but we will not allow it,” student demonstrator Valentina Moravcevic told N1 television.
“We are here today to give them a warning and to tell them that our history and cultural heritage are important to us.”
UAE-based Eagle Hills, already involved in Belgrade’s controversial riverside redevelopment, is the project’s second partner.
President Aleksandar Vucic defended the investment while facing public discontent over last November’s deadly railway station disaster.
“We are giving the land, and they are providing an investment of at least 650 million euros, a huge investment for our country,” he told pro-government Pink TV.
Vucic emphasized the arrangement constitutes a long-term lease rather than a sale of the property.
“This will increase the value of everything in Belgrade, further attract tourists… it will be worth over one billion euros right away.” – AFP
