Belgrade Residents Protest Kushner's Luxury Development Plan at Historic NATO-Bombed Site

Hundreds of protesters gathered in Belgrade on Tuesday to demonstrate against the planned demolition of a former Yugoslav Army headquarters building. The site is slated to be converted into a luxury hotel complex backed by Jared Kushner, son-in-law of US President Donald Trump.

The protest, primarily organized by students, occurred just four days after Serbian lawmakers passed special legislation classifying the redevelopment as an "urgent project," which would expedite the permitting process.

Kushner's involvement has sparked controversy as the 60-year-old military headquarters was damaged during US-led NATO bombing campaigns that ended the Kosovo conflict in 1999. Kushner, who is married to Ivanka Trump and previously served as a senior advisor to Donald Trump, has made the project politically sensitive.

In 2024, Kushner's investment firm Affinity Partners secured a 99-year lease for the property, which is strategically located opposite the main government building and foreign ministry. Prior to this arrangement, authorities had removed the site's protected status as a "cultural asset."

The development project was temporarily suspended in May following the launch of an investigation into allegations that documents used to lift the site's protected status may have been falsified.

"This government has decided to pass a special law to legalize its crime," stated student protester Valentina Moravcevic during an interview with N1 television. "They can now legally destroy this building, but we will not allow it. We are here today to give them a warning and to tell them that our history and cultural heritage are important to us."

Eagle Hills, a UAE-based property developer, serves as another partner in the development project. The company has been involved in large-scale redevelopment efforts along the Sava River, a Danube tributary, since late 2015. These projects have faced criticism from both the public and opposition groups.

President Aleksandar Vucic is currently facing widespread protests following a deadly railway station disaster in November last year, which many Serbian citizens attribute to corruption within the government.