Interior Minister Ervin Demo appeared before the media with an official toll for the protests of recent days in Tirana, describing the events as a situation overtaken by violence. According to him, the protest can no longer be considered peaceful because of the involvement of violent elements and the high number of injuries.
The toll presented by the Interior Ministry
According to the minister’s statement, 295 people have been registered as injured during these days. He included journalists, protesters, police officers and bystanders in that figure.
Of this total, according to the official version, 196 are State Police employees. The minister used this toll to stress that the clashes have gone beyond the limits of a peaceful gathering.
Government speaks of police restraint
Demo said officers showed self-control and professionalism while managing the protests, even though, according to him, they were confronted with serious acts of violence.
In his public position, the minister emphasized the role of the police in maintaining order and security, presenting the response of the blue uniforms as restrained despite tensions on the ground.
Claims of damage and a change in the character of the protest
The minister also said that state buildings were damaged during the protests and that attacks were also recorded against political entities.
According to him, the involvement of violent individuals changed the nature of the protest. Along these lines, he insisted that such acts cannot be justified in a democratic society.
The minister’s political message after six days of tension
At the end of the statement, Demo said that even six days after the situation began, he had not seen a sufficient reaction from political forces and society to condemn the violence against police officers.
His statement places the emphasis on condemning violence in the streets, while the toll and interpretation of events remain, at this stage, the version presented by the Interior Ministry.
At the media conference, the minister called the presence of violence on the streets of Tirana unacceptable and insisted that it cannot be accepted by anyone.
For the moment, the figures and assessments of the events are those made public by the authorities, in a politically and socially charged climate surrounding the protests in the capital.