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Hundreds of people gathered in Belgrade to protest plans for a large luxury hotel project led by Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of former US President Donald Trump.
The dispute revolves around the planned site — the old Serbian Ministry of Defence and Army headquarters, which were badly damaged during NATO’s 1999 bombing of Belgrade.
For many Serbians, the shattered structures are not mere real estate but an intrinsic and painful part of modern national history. Protesters carried banners and chanted slogans against what they termed the “erasure of national memory” for the sake of commercial profit, arguing that the ruins should be consecrated and maintained as a permanent memorial to the victims and the trauma of the 1999 intervention.
“We came here to raise our voice against the law,” said Teodora Smiljanic, a 48-year-old protester who spoke to the Guardian. “By passing this law he [Vucic] is aiming to please Trump and curry favour," she added.
Protests in Belgrade, Serbia due to @avucic regime issued Lex Specialis in order to give away 4 protected buildings to @jaredkushner to make hotel and apartments!
— Svetlana Vukasović (@Cekiron) November 11, 2025
People are outraged by breaking national laws for private interests.@nytimes @BBC @politico @Corriere @guardian… pic.twitter.com/x7gHuJ43RV
Kushner’s real estate venture, through his development company, has ignited a deep-seated debate within Serbian society about the appropriate way to address the wounds of the recent past.
The site’s location in the city centre makes it immensely valuable, but the sentiment expressed by the crowds is that no amount of foreign investment justifies sacrificing a symbol of the nation’s struggle.
Opponents have openly condemned the government for what they perceive as a clandestine deal that privileges foreign commercial interests over public sentiment and historical preservation.
“We are giving the land, and they are providing an investment of at least 650, euros ($753m), a huge investment for our country,” Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic told pro-government broadcaster Pink TV, stressing on the fact that it was not a sale but a long-term lease.
While the government may view the project as a necessary step toward attracting international investment and modernisation, the protesters view it as a betrayal of their collective history.
Kushner, husband of Ivanka Trump, founded Affinity Global Development after leaving his position as a White House adviser in 2021.
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