I cannot accept a police officer kicking a 16-year-old,” Jupi clashes with Morava and Bido

A heated verbal clash took place on Wednesday evening on “Now,” the show hosted by Erla Mëhilli on Euronews Albania. The debate featured lecturer Taulanta Jupi, journalist Kostana Morava and Socialist Party MP Ardit Bido.

Jupi harshly criticized the violence against protesters after they had been restrained, describing such conduct as a serious violation of human rights.

Kostana Morava argued that protests often descend into chaos because of the crowd, while Ardit Bido stressed that the use of force belongs solely to the state and cannot be exercised by other individuals or groups.

Jupi: I have been in daily contact with students for 25 years, but I do not want to relativize this issue. If an officer restrains a child, a 16-year-old or a 20-year-old and then hits them with rubber batons, kicks them or stomps on them, then we have a flagrant violation of the right to protest.

Morava: Opposing the police is a crowd that creates anarchy. Can you humanely restrain a large group of young people? That is impossible, and I do not agree with this approach. Even more so when it concerns children wearing masks and armed with bladed weapons. This is not normal.

Bido: According to this logic, Taulanta, when institutions and businesses are set on fire, should police officers go and kiss those carrying out these acts?

Jupi: As a lecturer, I am particularly sensitive when I see a child or a person who has been restrained continuing to be kicked by the state police, even though they have rights of their own. During the nine days, it did not act as the state police, but as a police force protecting Edi Rama’s power.

Bido: In the public debate, we must speak clearly about an indisputable fact: force in a country cannot be exercised by protesters, political parties or individuals. Only the state police has this right, and only within the limits of the law. What I have just said is indisputable.