Thousands Rally Against Hotel Project in Serbia Linked to Trump's Son-in-Law
Thousands of demonstrators took to the streets in Serbia on Monday to protest government-backed plans for a luxury hotel on the site of a historic former military complex that was destroyed during NATO's 1999 bombing campaign. The project,...
TroibNews 
Thousands of demonstrators took to the streets in Serbia on Monday to protest government-backed plans for a luxury hotel on the site of a historic former military complex that was destroyed during NATO's 1999 bombing campaign.
The project, spearheaded by Affinity Global Partners, was established by Jared Kushner, who is the son-in-law of former US President Donald Trump.
The location for the proposed hotel in central Belgrade is the General Staff building, which served as a headquarters for the Yugoslav army and sustained heavy damage during NATO's extensive bombing campaign related to the Kosovo conflict. The airstrikes resulted in over 500 civilian casualties due to the US-led military initiative, which lacked UN authorization.
Last year, the Serbian government finalized a multimillion-dollar agreement with Affinity Global Development to redevelop the site. The deal entails a 99-year lease over a three-block area and plans to create a Trump-branded hotel, luxury apartments, office spaces, shops, and a memorial for the victims of the bombings.
While the agreement has been criticized by opposition parties, President Aleksandar Vucic and his administration have advocated for the redevelopment, framing it as part of the effort to modernize the capital.
The timing of Monday’s protest was significant, coinciding with Serbia's Remembrance Day, which commemorates the anniversary of the NATO bombing campaign's initiation on March 24, 1999. Protesters assembled around the ruins of the former military complex, advocating for the site to be preserved as a cultural landmark and for the redevelopment plans to be abandoned. Many demonstrators referred to the complex as “a monument to NATO aggression” and expressed opposition to the idea of turning it over to American developers.
One protester remarked, “The General Staff, which is the cultural center of Serbia, which was bombed by NATO together with America, should now be handed over to America? It’s creepy. Ironic and satirical.”
Another protester declared, “It is completely unacceptable.”
Veterans of the Kosovo war also joined the protests, marking the 26th anniversary of the NATO bombings in Serbia and Montenegro.
Videos shared on social media depicted crowds chanting anti-NATO slogans and displaying signs with messages such as “f**k NATO and Trump Tower” and “we will never forget,” alongside the dates of the 1999 airstrikes. Demonstrators showcased Serbian flags as well as banners opposing NATO and the EU, with some also waving flags from Russia, China, North Korea, and Palestine.
The protests unfolded against the backdrop of a student-led anti-corruption movement in Serbia, which was ignited by a building collapse at the Novi Sad railway station last November that resulted in 16 fatalities. This incident fueled widespread outrage, leading to the resignation of several senior officials, including Prime Minister Milos Vucevic, and prompted calls for extensive political reforms.
Meanwhile, Serbian authorities have attributed the protests to foreign interference, accusing opposition groups of collaborating with Western, Croatian, and Albanian intelligence services in an effort to destabilize the government.
Allen M Lee for TROIB News
The project, spearheaded by Affinity Global Partners, was established by Jared Kushner, who is the son-in-law of former US President Donald Trump.
The location for the proposed hotel in central Belgrade is the General Staff building, which served as a headquarters for the Yugoslav army and sustained heavy damage during NATO's extensive bombing campaign related to the Kosovo conflict. The airstrikes resulted in over 500 civilian casualties due to the US-led military initiative, which lacked UN authorization.
Last year, the Serbian government finalized a multimillion-dollar agreement with Affinity Global Development to redevelop the site. The deal entails a 99-year lease over a three-block area and plans to create a Trump-branded hotel, luxury apartments, office spaces, shops, and a memorial for the victims of the bombings.
While the agreement has been criticized by opposition parties, President Aleksandar Vucic and his administration have advocated for the redevelopment, framing it as part of the effort to modernize the capital.
The timing of Monday’s protest was significant, coinciding with Serbia's Remembrance Day, which commemorates the anniversary of the NATO bombing campaign's initiation on March 24, 1999. Protesters assembled around the ruins of the former military complex, advocating for the site to be preserved as a cultural landmark and for the redevelopment plans to be abandoned. Many demonstrators referred to the complex as “a monument to NATO aggression” and expressed opposition to the idea of turning it over to American developers.
One protester remarked, “The General Staff, which is the cultural center of Serbia, which was bombed by NATO together with America, should now be handed over to America? It’s creepy. Ironic and satirical.”
Another protester declared, “It is completely unacceptable.”
Veterans of the Kosovo war also joined the protests, marking the 26th anniversary of the NATO bombings in Serbia and Montenegro.
Videos shared on social media depicted crowds chanting anti-NATO slogans and displaying signs with messages such as “f**k NATO and Trump Tower” and “we will never forget,” alongside the dates of the 1999 airstrikes. Demonstrators showcased Serbian flags as well as banners opposing NATO and the EU, with some also waving flags from Russia, China, North Korea, and Palestine.
The protests unfolded against the backdrop of a student-led anti-corruption movement in Serbia, which was ignited by a building collapse at the Novi Sad railway station last November that resulted in 16 fatalities. This incident fueled widespread outrage, leading to the resignation of several senior officials, including Prime Minister Milos Vucevic, and prompted calls for extensive political reforms.
Meanwhile, Serbian authorities have attributed the protests to foreign interference, accusing opposition groups of collaborating with Western, Croatian, and Albanian intelligence services in an effort to destabilize the government.
Allen M Lee for TROIB News
