Her son became a symbol of the protest and faced six police officers; in his statement: “I was walking down the street, and the police insulted and hit me…

Journalist Brikena Metaj, the mother of Klevi Metaj, the young man who became a symbol of the student protest, said she learned what had happened from one of her son’s friends, who called to inform her.

In an interview with News24, she said those first moments were difficult because she had no contact with her son.

Brikena Metaj said her son was walking along the street when police hit and insulted him. The young man then reacted, she said, but stressed that the police violence was unjustified.

“I found out by chance, from a phone call from one of his high school friends. It was terrible news. In those first moments, we had no contact at all. We didn’t know what had happened. We started trying to find out. At home, we knew that he worked nights. I don’t know how he ended up at the protest. It doesn’t matter whether he was at the protest or happened to be there. The police should restrain individuals who break the law. If someone breaks the law, they should apprehend that person and take them to the police station humanely. But nothing justifies an officer in uniform hitting someone, especially when that person is a child. Klevi hasn’t turned 24. He was walking on the sidewalk. The officer approached him, hit him and insulted him. His reaction was instinctive. Any young person who hears someone insult their sister and mother, is hit, and asks the officer, ‘Why are you hitting me?’—only for the officer to repeat the attack—will react violently,” the journalist said.

She said her son was still in the hospital and was expected to be informed of the security measure today.

“At first, it was difficult to see him because he was being held in detention. He is in the hospital and is not in good condition. Klevi is a calm, fair and very honest young man. One of his qualities is that he is very honest. He says, ‘I was just going about my business,’” said Brikena Metaj, who hopes her son will be released from detention today.