Tensions and mixed messages marked the gathering near the Ministry of Education, where a protest launched in the name of students overlapped with the presence of opposition lawmakers and open objections directed at them.
The gathering began with calls for a nationwide protest
Students had announced a gathering at 12:00 in front of the Ministry of Education, while the Democratic Party had declared its support for the rally. According to public announcements, lecturers who have been boycotting classes for several days were also expected to stand alongside them.
The protest was presented as a continuation of the mobilizations of recent days in Tirana, with political demands going beyond university issues, including the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama.
The opposition march was led by lawmakers, not Berisha
Sali Berisha, although he had called on supporters and citizens to join the protest, was not part of the march. Democratic Party lawmakers took the lead, including Flamur Noka, Gazment Bardhi and Agron Gjekmarkaj.
After remaining for about 30 minutes in front of the Prime Minister’s Office, Democratic protesters headed toward the Ministry of Education, shifting the center of the gathering to where students had announced they would assemble.
Chants against both political sides
At the entrance to Durrës Street, the group led by opposition lawmakers was met with chants of “Rama in prison, Berisha in prison.” The message showed that some of those present did not see the protest as ground for one-sided party politics.
A confrontation with a protester was also recorded there, as he called for the opposition lawmakers to leave. The episode highlighted the tension between a protest framed as civic and the parties’ attempt to steer it politically.
The shadow of incidents and uncertainty over what comes next
Students had announced that at 14:00 the protest would continue in front of the Prime Minister’s Office. It was not clear how long the gathering would last or how the presence of different groups within the same protest would be managed.
At previous rallies, incidents and clashes with police have been recorded, making the institutional management of the situation on the ground even more sensitive.
The scene outside the Ministry of Education showed not only dissatisfaction with the government, but also distrust toward the political representation seeking to speak in the name of the protest.
The clash between civic logic and the shadow of party politics remained the most visible element of Saturday’s gathering in Tirana.