Protests in Tirana continue, with clashes between demonstrators and riot police, the BBC reports. Secondary school pupils and university students are among the main participants, while calls for better conditions in education, a fight against corruption and the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama are at the heart of the protests.
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A police station and several government buildings in Tirana have been attacked during the protests. Demonstrators oppose conditions at universities and the cost of education, as well as what they consider government corruption, and are calling for Prime Minister Edi Rama to step down.
Rama: The state cannot negotiate under violence
The BBC cites statements by Prime Minister Edi Rama, saying he has taken a firm stance against the violent protests. At a meeting with police officials, he displayed a stone that had been thrown at officers during Sunday’s protest.
“When the state negotiates with this, the state has fallen,” Rama was quoted as saying, rejecting the idea of negotiations under the pressure of violence.
The prime minister has also claimed that the protests are being fueled by outside forces, describing the demonstrators as young people radicalized by actors in Europe and the United States. These are his statements, while claims of foreign involvement require independent evidence.
Clashes in central Tirana
The BBC also reports on the escalating situation the previous day in Rinia Park.
Some protesters pulled stones from the cobblestones, after which a police convoy, accompanied by an armored water-cannon vehicle, advanced toward the crowd.
Police used tear gas and high-pressure water to disperse the demonstrators, many of whom ran through the park. Some protesters took shelter in a café, where employees were also affected by the gas.
Volunteers wearing reflective vests also remained in the area, helping people who were experiencing difficulties from exposure to the gas. The BBC reporter also describes an incident in which a police officer sprayed an irritant into a young man’s face from very close range.
Lawyers raise concerns about police conduct
Human rights lawyer Gentian Sejrani, who is providing legal assistance to more than 100 people who have been arrested, has criticized the way police operations are being conducted.
He said police actions are often chaotic and that, based on his experience in court, authorities often fail to present evidence. Sejrani also cited cases of arrests that had no direct connection to the protests.
Meanwhile, clashes and attacks on officers have heightened tensions between police and demonstrators, creating a situation in which violence is fueling further reactions from both sides.
