The protest known as “54” ended outside the Prime Minister’s Office without any new episodes of confrontation, though not without leaving behind the tensions of the morning near parliament. At the center of the gathering remained the demand for the release of those escorted by police, while the accounts of the conduct of officers and protesters remained conflicting.
Main chant: “Release the boys, the girls”
After moving to the “Dëshmorët e Kombit” boulevard, protesters made their main call the demand for the release of those escorted during the earlier incidents.
The gathering outside the Prime Minister’s Office ended without a new escalation, although the atmosphere remained tense after what had happened earlier near parliament.
Clashes at parliament from the morning
The protest had started at around 08:00 near parliament, on the day when the final plenary session of this session was held.
Protesters greeted lawmakers with eggs and water bottles, leading to clashes with police. According to the account reported from the scene, police responded with pepper water and tear gas.
Accusations of violence and divided positions toward police
During the gathering, protesters accused police of violence during the intervention and the escorts.
However, there were also voices in the crowd that took a supportive stance toward the officers. One protester said, “The police are my heart, we must protect the police.”
Injuries on both sides
From the clashes near parliament, both protesters and police officers were injured.
Some of them were transported by ambulance to hospital to receive medical assistance, while the full toll of the incidents was not further clarified.
The peaceful end of the protest outside the Prime Minister’s Office does not diminish the fact that the day was marked by strong confrontations between protesters and police.
In the absence of a fuller institutional account of the escorts, the use of force and the exact number of injured, questions over the management of the protest remain open.