Protests Against Rama's Government Turn Violent in Albania

Thousands of opposition supporters on Saturday clashed with police in an anti-government rally against PM Edi Rama’s cabinet, demanding its resignation and early elections.

Protesters attack the Prime Minister office in Tirana on Saturday, 16 February 2019. Photo: Gjergj Erebara/BIRN

A group of protesters managed to break through the police cordon to reach the entrance of the Prime Minister’s office in Tirana on Saturday, but were soon dispersed once police threw tear gas.

Protesters managed to reach the gates and tried to break them but failed after tear gas was thrown from the terrace of the building, forcing them to retreat.

After the police used gas bombs, protesters ran away for several minutes but returned soon after in an attempted second attack. Several times protesters tried to break down through the gate’s glass windows but failed. The glass, which was apparently bullet proof, was left with only scratches.

Police aired pre-recorded messages over megaphones, which were tied to light pylons, on the other side of the boulevard, urging protesters to refrain from violence. One of the protesters managed to climb up the pole and destroyed the megaphones.

Tens of thousands of opposition supporters flooded the streets of Tirana on Saturday coming from across the country in what is considered as one of the biggest protests that the country had seen in years.

Billed by the opposition leaders as “the protest that will bring down the government of thugs”, it also stirred condemnation from EU and US embassies in Tirana and as well as fear for future instability in the country.

The US Embassy issued a press statement on Saturday after the violence flared: “The United States Embassy strongly condemns the violence and destruction taking place during today’s protests in Tirana,” it reads.

In its reaction, OSCE Albania called the instigators and the perpetrators to “bear the responsibility for today’s incidents”.

Opposition leaders said the violence was result of “provocateurs”.

Speaking to the journalists while in protest, leader of the main opposition Democratic Party Lulzim Basha said: “Violent acts have been committed as part of Edi Rama’s scenario for violence. I call on the police to protect the life of citizens and not make themselves tools of a narco-government and a narco-Prime Minister.”

He added that the aim of the protest is to have a government, which is not “captured by crime”.

“This is the people’s reaction and the solution is Edi Rama’s departure. We cannot continue and will not continue [with Edi Rama in power]. Now it is in the hands of people,” he said.

“We did not come here to support any act of violence,” Basha added.

Gazmend Bardhi, secretary general of the Democratic Party wrote in Facebook: “[Minister of Interiors] Sander Lleshaj stop provoking peaceful protesters under orders of the thief in chief Edi Rama.”

Rama, who on Saturday was in southern town of Vlora, lamented the destruction of an artwork by the German Artist Carsten Holler, installed there.

Publishing the photo of the pieces of the artwork that showed a mushroom, he wrote: “Sorry Carsten, this is not Albania, these are not Albanians”.