Thousands of people protested in Belgrade against the plan to demolish the former army headquarters to make room for a luxury hotel complex, which is part of a project connected to the son-in-law of US President Donald Trump, Jared Kushner, writes the British Guardian.
This gathering joined a wave of anti-government protests that erupted after the collapse of the roof of the railway station a year ago, in which 16 people died, writes the Guardian, as reported by Danas.
Serbian MPs adopted a law last week that allows faster administrative procedures for the company Affinity Global Development, owned by Kushner, to build a hotel, apartments, shops, and offices on the site of the former Yugoslav Army headquarters.
Many Serbians believe that the old building, damaged during the 1999 NATO bombing during the conflict in Kosovo, is a memorial to the fallen and a symbol of Yugoslav-era modernist architecture, and they opposed the signing of a 99-year lease agreement with Affinity Global Development last year.
“We came here to raise our voice against this law,” said Teodora Smiljanić, a 48-year-old protest participant. “By adopting this law, Vučić wants to please Trump and gain favor.”
Some opposition politicians claimed that the law was unconstitutional, but the ruling majority adopted it without changes, stating that it is crucial for good relations with the United States of America.
Despite the protests, Vučić’s government revoked the protected cultural property status of the old military complex last November.
“We are giving the land, and they are providing an investment of at least 650 million euros (753 million dollars) — a huge investment for our country,” he told the pro-government television Pink, emphasizing that it is not a sale, but a long-term lease.
“This will increase the value of everything in Belgrade, further attract tourists… it will immediately be worth more than a billion euros.”
Kushner, who is married to Trump’s daughter Ivanka, founded Affinity Global Development after leaving his job as a White House advisor in 2021. Kushner’s broader investment firm, Affinity Partners, did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent by Reuters.
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Source: Nova.rs, Photo: M.M. / ATAImages