Head of the University Employees’ Union, Kovaçi: Rama’s invitation for dialogue is a trap; rubber bullets were used against professors

Aleksandër Kovaçi, chairman of the Union of University Employees of Albania, has strongly condemned police violence against the academic staff and students during protests outside the Ministry of Education, in an interview for News24.

He said that state repression has not spared even the professoriate and intellectuals who joined the civic revolt in the streets, confirming the use of rubber bullets against them.

Kovaçi provided concrete testimony on the consequences of the police intervention near the Ministry of Education, where a member of the academic staff was seriously injured. He stated that the use of rubber bullets has not stopped and that a staff member suffered an injury near the eye. Still bandaged, he has been through the hospital and his health condition is good, while he continues to protest — bandaged and wearing glasses.

Regarding the water cannon and tear gas, Kovaçi stressed that they are being used indiscriminately against anyone in the square, including lecturers and intellectuals. He added that this did not happen only a day ago, but continuously, affecting the professoriate, teachers, and citizens, not only students or those considered more rebellious.

As for Prime Minister Edi Rama’s calls for dialogue with university representatives, Kovaçi described them as political maneuvers to divide the youth movement. According to him, Rama’s invitation for dialogue is simply a trap for students, and there can be no dialogue while violence continues on the ground.

The union leader once again confirmed the full and unquestionable support of the teaching staff for the university boycott and the youth protest, declaring that students cannot be in the streets while lecturers are in the lecture halls.