The Democratic Party on Saturday shifted its protest action from the party’s headquarters and then from the Prime Minister’s Office toward the Ministry of Education, where student and high school protests have been concentrated for days. Opposition lawmakers were seen at the head of the march, while the absence of Sali Berisha stood out.
From party headquarters to the Prime Minister’s Office, then toward the Ministry of Education
PD supporters first gathered at the party headquarters and then marched toward the Prime Minister’s Office, where the rally had been planned.
After remaining in front of the government building, the crowd began moving toward the Ministry of Education, shifting the focus of the protest to the building tied to the cause declared by the opposition.
Lawmakers at the head of the crowd, PD leader absent
Opposition lawmakers Flamur Noka, Agron Gjekmarkaj, Elda Hoti and Tedi Blushi were seen on the front line of the march.
Meanwhile, PD leader Sali Berisha was absent from the protest, even though he had called for participation in Saturday’s rally just a few days earlier.
Political backing for the student and high school protests
According to the line announced earlier by the opposition, the protest has been presented as support for students and high school pupils who have been involved in public demonstrations for several days.
Berisha had presented this movement as a political confrontation with Prime Minister Edi Rama’s government, inviting citizens outside Democratic Party ranks to join the protest as well.
Police deployed, protest without tensions
Up to this stage, the protest has continued without any tensions reported on the ground.
Police were positioned near the Prime Minister’s Office, while developments on the ground pointed to a rally organized under the direction of opposition political figures.
The march toward the Ministry of Education places the protest at the point where the opposition is seeking to connect with the discontent of pupils and students, giving it a clear political profile as well.
Berisha’s absence on the ground remains one of the most noticeable elements of this demonstration, despite his earlier calls for mobilization.