Thousands of people gathered in the Serbian capital Belgrade to protest against plans to demolish a former army headquarters that was damaged during the 1999 Nato bombing campaign. The building, which has become a symbol of Yugoslav-era modernist architecture, is seen as a tribute to those who died and opposed by many Serbs.
The protests come amid a backdrop of anti-government demonstrations sparked by the collapse of a railway station roof last year, which killed 16 people. The opposition views President Aleksandar Vucic's government as being under pressure from the US president Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, who has invested in the development project.
Kushner's firm, Affinity Global Development, is planning to build a luxury hotel complex on the site of the former army headquarters. However, many Serbs see this as an attempt to erase the country's history and cultural heritage.
The government has passed legislation that allows faster administrative procedures for Kushner's company to proceed with the project. Some opposition politicians argued that the law was unconstitutional, but it was approved without amendments by the governing majority.
Teodora Smiljanic, a 48-year-old protester, said: "We came here to raise our voice against the law. By passing this law, he [Vucic] is aiming to please Trump and curry favour."
Despite the protests, President Vucic's government believes that the investment will bring in at least $753 million, which will increase the value of everything in Belgrade and attract tourists.
The development project has sparked controversy over its links to Kushner and the potential impact on Serbia's cultural heritage. As one protestor noted, "We are giving the land, and they are providing an investment. It seems like a good deal for our country." However, others see it as a sellout of Serbia's history and values.
The protests have put pressure on President Vucic's government to reconsider its stance on the development project.
The protests come amid a backdrop of anti-government demonstrations sparked by the collapse of a railway station roof last year, which killed 16 people. The opposition views President Aleksandar Vucic's government as being under pressure from the US president Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, who has invested in the development project.
Kushner's firm, Affinity Global Development, is planning to build a luxury hotel complex on the site of the former army headquarters. However, many Serbs see this as an attempt to erase the country's history and cultural heritage.
The government has passed legislation that allows faster administrative procedures for Kushner's company to proceed with the project. Some opposition politicians argued that the law was unconstitutional, but it was approved without amendments by the governing majority.
Teodora Smiljanic, a 48-year-old protester, said: "We came here to raise our voice against the law. By passing this law, he [Vucic] is aiming to please Trump and curry favour."
Despite the protests, President Vucic's government believes that the investment will bring in at least $753 million, which will increase the value of everything in Belgrade and attract tourists.
The development project has sparked controversy over its links to Kushner and the potential impact on Serbia's cultural heritage. As one protestor noted, "We are giving the land, and they are providing an investment. It seems like a good deal for our country." However, others see it as a sellout of Serbia's history and values.
The protests have put pressure on President Vucic's government to reconsider its stance on the development project.
Can't they just let that building stand there? It's got so much history and character. I get why they wanna make some cash, but do we really need a fancy hotel complex built right next to this beautiful old building? 
And what's the deal with Kushner's company, anyway? Did he just happen to have some spare change lying around that Serbia needed so badly? 
It seems kinda fishy to me. The government should be listening to the people and preserving our cultural heritage instead of going along with some shady deal. 
I hope they keep protesting until something changes! 
they're trying to demolish this historic building and kushner is like "hey lets build a hotel complex here" lol like what even is that supposed to be about?? i get that the building has damage from the nato bombing but thats not a reason to tear it down. its like erasing history or something
? And the government just gave Kushner fast-tracked permission to ruin this masterpiece of Yugoslav modernist architecture 
. 16 people died from a collapsed railway roof and we're still dealing with the fallout... now we gotta worry about some dude's ego and his dad's rich friends 
. It's like, can't they see that our history is worth more than some cash? 
. And if it's really gonna help boost tourism and the economy, then wut's the harm? 
This whole thing reeks of crony capitalism, if you ask me 
. The opposition is saying that President Vucic is under pressure from the US, but I think it's more like he's trying to prove a point – that his government can get away with just about anything 
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This whole thing is just another example of how politics is like a dirty game – where winning means losing out on what truly matters 
The government's all about appeasing Trump and Kushner's buddies, but what about the people who actually live here? It feels like they're trying to erase Serbian identity for some American ego trip. 
At least try to have a conversation with your citizens before making decisions that affect the country's future... 
It seems like the government and Kushner's company are trying to do a good deed by bringing in investment, but at what cost? 
I'm not saying it's a bad idea, but let's not forget that there's more to life than just making money 
. I mean, you can't just demolish an important piece of history like that! The army headquarters is like, super significant because it was damaged during the Nato bombing, and now it's being seen as a tribute to those who died? It's not just about Kushner's plans for a luxury hotel complex 
. I get that investment can be good for the economy, but at what cost? The opposition is right to say that this is all about pleasing Trump and his associates... it's like Vucic's government is trying to sell out Serbia's history and values.
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the building is old and damaged from NATO bombing, thats a historical fact not somethin ur tryna erase 
but at the same time, who wants to see some fancy hotel go up on that spot? 
. i mean, vucic's just tryin 2 make deals & get ahead, what's the big deal? 
it's all about politics and cash, not about preserving cultural heritage or remembering what actually happened during the nato bombing campaign. 
it's not just about kushner, it's about the whole system being corrupt and out of touch with its citizens.
. The problem is, they're doing it by potentially selling out Serbia's cultural heritage 
. I don't think that's fair 
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. It's not just about Kushner or Vucic - it's about what kind of impact this is going to have on Belgrade and its people 
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