Tirana faced two announced gatherings on the same day, with the opposition first protesting in front of the Prime Minister’s Office and students having announced a gathering in front of the Ministry of Education. Tension was also present at the opposition rally: one protester was forcibly removed after chanting against Edi Rama and Sali Berisha at the same time.
The opposition gathered at PD headquarters and marched toward the Prime Minister’s Office
Supporters of the Democratic Party first gathered at the headquarters of this political force and then marched toward the Prime Minister’s Office. At the head of the rally were MPs Flamur Noka, Agron Gjekmarkaj, Elda Hoti and Tedi Blushi.
Democratic Party leader Sali Berisha was absent from the protest, even though the call for participation had been made by him. He had asked for support for the cause of the students and high school pupils who have been protesting for days.
Incident in front of the Prime Minister’s Office, a protester was removed by force
During the gathering in front of the Prime Minister’s Office, an incident was recorded that exposed tensions within the crowd. A protester who chanted “Rama in prison, Berisha in prison” clashed with other participants.
He was then slapped and forcibly removed from the protest. The episode raises questions about the climate of tolerance toward uncontrolled voices even within a rally called in the name of civic support.
The march moved toward the Ministry of Education
After remaining in front of the Prime Minister’s Office, opposition supporters began marching toward the Ministry of Education. A student protest had been announced there for 14:00.
The opposition’s move toward a protest called by students comes at a sensitive moment, as only a week earlier the young people did not accept representatives and supporters of the Democratic Party joining their gathering.
Students warn of continuation, police deploy 1,200 officers
Students have made it clear that the protests will continue, despite invitations for dialogue from Prime Minister Edi Rama. Lecturers have also expressed support for them.
To manage the two gatherings, according to the version made public by the police, a set of measures has been drafted in the capital. According to reporting from the ground, around 1,200 officers have been engaged for order and security.
The day of protests in Tirana began with political friction and ended with the opposition’s attempt to move closer to the student protest, a relationship that remains complicated also because of the refusal previously expressed by the young people themselves.
On the ground, the incident involving the violent removal of a protester remained the moment that most clearly highlighted not only the day’s tension, but also the internal limits of what is allowed to be said in a political crowd.