Students Protest At Belgrade Site Earmarked For Trump Hotel

(MENAFN- Live Mint) Crowds of students gathered in Serbia's capital Monday to protest a government contract with US investors, led by President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, to develop a hotel complex on the site of a former military headquarters.

The demonstrators demanded the government rescind the deal and restore protected status to the former Yugoslav defense ministry building, which was destroyed in NATO's bombing of Serbian targets in 1999 that aimed to stop Belgrade's military offensive in Kosovo.

Serbia's authorities, dominated by President Aleksandar Vucic, last year signed a 99-year lease with Affinity Global Development, represented by Kushner's partner Asher Abehsera. The accord allowed the firm to proceed with plans to turn three downtown blocks into a hotel with commercial space and more than 1,500 residences.

The opposition and environmentalist groups have previously rallied against the project, claiming it would be a mockery of Serbia's history, culture and architecture. Beta news agency reported that thousands of people, most of them students, joined the protest at the site on Monday.

The gathering seems to be a part of a wave of large student protests following a deadly roof collapse at a railway station in November. The rallies have gained momentum with opposition members accusing Vucic and his officials of mismanagement and corruption.

Earlier this month, Trump's oldest son Donald Trump Jr. arrived for a surprise meeting with Vucic in Belgrade, that was seen as a sign of support to beleaguered president.

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