Thousands of Serbians took to the streets on Monday, outraged over plans to build a Trump-branded luxury hotel on a site that holds deep national significance—the former General Staff building in Belgrade, bombed by NATO in 1999. T
The project, spearheaded by Affinity Global Development, a firm linked to Jared Kushner, has sparked fierce opposition from citizens who see the site as a painful reminder of Western aggression.
The Serbian government, which greenlit the redevelopment deal last year, insists the project will modernize Belgrade, bringing in investment and revitalizing the area. The plan includes a 99-year lease for a three-block zone, featuring high-end apartments, offices, shops, and a memorial for bombing victims. However, critics argue that allowing American developers to profit from a site targeted by NATO is both insulting and historically tone-deaf.
#Serbia | 24 March protest:
Once again, the Veterans of the Kosovo war joined the protests, this time on the 26th year since NATO's 1999 bombings in Serbia and Montenegro.#Belgrade #Beograd #Veterans #Kosovo #Srbija #Montenegro https://t.co/95PdvOXWFB pic.twitter.com/7FQ4KJ9n35
— Luka | Дунав Intel (@Lukai1861) March 24, 2025
Monday’s demonstration coincided with Serbia’s Remembrance Day, marking the anniversary of NATO’s 78-day bombing campaign. Protesters gathered around the ruins, demanding the site be preserved as a national landmark rather than handed over to foreign investors. Furious demonstrators waved Serbian flags, chanted anti-NATO slogans, and held banners condemning both the alliance and the U.S. Some carried flags from Russia, China, North Korea, and Palestine, signaling broader geopolitical frustrations.
Public anger over the hotel deal has only added fuel to Serbia’s ongoing anti-corruption movement. Sparked by a deadly infrastructure collapse last year, protests have since expanded into calls for sweeping political reforms. Government officials, however, have dismissed the unrest as foreign-backed meddling, accusing opposition groups of collaborating with Western intelligence services.
As tensions rise, the Serbian people are making one thing clear—they will not let the memory of NATO’s destruction be paved over for luxury real estate.
