Police intervened to disperse protesters on Dëshmorët e Kombit Boulevard, using water cannon trucks in a move that led to the gradual emptying of Tirana’s central thoroughfare.
Intervention on the boulevard
According to the version reported from the scene, police tried to remove protesters from Dëshmorët e Kombit Boulevard with water-dispersal vehicles.
The movement of police forces extended from the beginning of the boulevard to near the Ministry of Defence, where protesters were pushed back with water.
The area emptied after the crowd was pushed back
After the intervention, the boulevard emptied, while the presence of protesters shrank significantly along the central stretch.
Footage from the scene suggests that police took control of the public space after pushing the crowd away from the main axis.
Police remain on alert
Police forces continue to remain on alert in the area, on the grounds that there could be tensions again.
Up to this moment, the information made public has focused on the dispersal of protesters and keeping the perimeter on the boulevard under control.
The use of water cannon trucks during a protest in the center of the capital brings renewed attention to how public gatherings are managed and to the proportionality of force used by police.
For the moment, what is known is that Dëshmorët e Kombit Boulevard has been emptied, while law enforcement forces have remained positioned on the ground.