Following episodes of violence at the youth protest, the Interior Ministry issued a public message focused on parents and guardians, urging that children and adolescents not be drawn into clashes in the streets. In the same statement, the institution itself acknowledged that the management of assemblies must be based on communication, de-escalation and the minimal use of force.
The ministry’s appeal after the clashes
Deputy Interior Minister Anisa Ruseti called on parents and guardians not to allow minors to become involved in protests that could deteriorate into violence. According to the official version, the risk is linked not only to physical injuries, but also to the psychological consequences that clashes may bring.
At the center of the statement was the idea that minors should not be used for political purposes and cannot bear responsibility for incitement to violence by adults or other influential actors.
The tally presented by the authorities
According to the Interior Ministry, more than 270 people have sought medical assistance at hospitals in recent days alone. Of that total, around 70 were protest participants or passersby, while more than 170 were officers of the State Police.
These figures were presented to support the argument that the escalation of tensions has produced direct consequences and that the presence of minors near clashes exposes them to danger even when they do not themselves take part in incidents.
Official acknowledgment of the limits on police force
The statement also said that European standards require the management of protests to be based on communication, de-escalation and the use of force only when necessary and to the minimum extent required. This is wording that places the police themselves under an obligation of proportionality, at a time when there are allegations of increased violence on the ground.
The ministry stressed that violent acts by individuals do not justify treating all participants as violent, nor the imposition of collective responsibility. Likewise, according to the statement, any police action must be lawful, proportionate and only undertaken when necessary.
Allegations of violence and responsibility toward minors
According to the Interior Ministry, any allegation of excessive use of force will be examined impartially and in accordance with the legislation in force. However, in this public appearance the main focus shifted to the responsibility of parents, guardians, organizers and public figures who influence young people.
The authorities urged parents to know where their children are, who they are with and what calls they are receiving on social media, while emphasizing that the normalization of violence can harm the way young people understand conflict, the law and their relationship with institutions.
The ministry’s statement places the emphasis on protecting children, but at the same time brings attention to another issue: how protests are managed by the police, especially when the authorities themselves acknowledge that the standard should be de-escalation rather than force.
Given the injuries on the ground and the accusations of violence, it remains essential that the principles of proportionality, transparency and accountability do not remain only at the level of declarations.