A gesture staged as an invitation to “dialogue” outside the Prime Minister’s Office was publicly rejected by students and lecturers, who marched in protest and tore up the papers placed on chairs left there by Edi Rama. The situation escalated further with a verbal confrontation with the director of the Agency for Media and Information, Manjola Hasa.
Chairs and papers outside the Prime Minister’s Office
This morning, several chairs were placed outside the Prime Minister’s Office, each with a paper reading “dialogue.” The move came from Prime Minister Edi Rama at a moment when the student and lecturer protest was heading precisely toward the seat of government.
Rather than serving as a bridge of communication, the symbolism was immediately opposed by the protesters, who saw it as a formal gesture rather than a response to the concerns raised on the ground.
Students tear up the papers
As the protest began outside the Prime Minister’s Office, students marched toward the chairs and tore up the papers placed on them. The act was an open rejection of the way the idea of dialogue was being presented by the government.
Footage from the scene showed that the tension was not simply about a symbolic installation, but about the protesters’ distrust of an invitation that, according to them, is not accompanied by accountability for what happened earlier.
Confrontation with Manjola Hasa
During the protest there was also a confrontation with MIA director Manjola Hasa. According to the version presented by her, she was there to convey any request from students who wanted to speak with the prime minister.
“I am not here for political statements, I am here so that if there are students who want to speak with the prime minister, to convey their request. The prime minister has maintained his position. Whoever wants dialogue is welcome, the prime minister is open to dialogue,” Hasa said.
Accusations from protesters against the police
On the other hand, one of the protesters responded to the MIA representative with a direct accusation over the way the protest had been handled, according to him.
“Explain why the police are assaulting students without any identification, then ask for dialogue,” the protester said, shifting the debate from the symbolic invitation to talk to institutional responsibility for the police intervention.
The clash outside the Prime Minister’s Office showed that the message of “dialogue” is not being received by all protesters as a sign of a solution.
On the ground, the clearest demand was not for political stagecraft, but for concrete accountability from institutions.