In Albania, the opposition, led by the Democratic Party, organized another protest on Tuesday afternoon in Tirana to demand the establishment of a technical government to lead the country to new parliamentary elections, as well as the release of their leader, Sali Berisha, who has been under house arrest since December of last year.
Led by opposition MPs and their supporters, the protestors began blocking five key intersections in the capital from 5:00 PM. Tensions were high from the start at several of the blocked junctions, as the police tried to remove the demonstrators from the streets to allow for the free flow of traffic.
Physical clashes between the large police forces, equipped with helmets and shields, and the protestors were sporadic, including incidents involving opposition MPs. The police repeatedly asked the protestors to clear the streets, warning that obstructing traffic was a criminal act. These requests were followed by interventions aimed at dispersing the protesters.
In front of the Tirana Municipality building, the police used water cannons, and the same scene occurred at Wilson Square, where tear gas was also deployed to disperse protestors who had surrounded a police vehicle.
Opposition MPs spoke out against what they called the unjustified use of force by the police, claiming the intervention was disproportionate, especially given that they had obtained permission for the protest. Gazmend Bardhi, the head of the Democratic parliamentary group, said that even in previous protests in front of the Prime Minister’s office, the boulevard was blocked for traffic, and it was the police’s responsibility to secure alternative routes for vehicles.
Additionally, opposition protests in front of the Tirana Municipality have been almost weekly for several months, often taking place at times that disrupt traffic, with high tensions, including the use of Molotov cocktails and burning car tires. However, the police had never intervened before with water cannons or tear gas.
After the protest ended, opposition MPs stated that some of their supporters had been taken to the police stations. By late evening, the police had not issued any statement or responded to the allegations of disproportionate use of force.
In Albania, the opposition led by the Democratic Party organized another protest in the capital, Tirana, on Tuesday afternoon. The protest aimed to demand the establishment of a technical government to hold new parliamentary elections and the release of Democratic Party leader Sali Berisha, who has been under house arrest since December of last year.
Led by opposition MPs and their supporters, the protesters blocked five key intersections in the city starting at 5:00 PM. The protest began with tensions at several of the blocked junctions as the police attempted to remove the demonstrators to keep traffic flowing.
Clashes between the large police forces, equipped with helmets and shields, and the protesters were intermittent, including with opposition MPs. The police repeatedly called for the protesters to vacate the roads, warning that obstructing traffic was a criminal offense. These calls were followed by interventions to disperse the demonstrators.
In front of the Tirana Municipality building, the police used water cannons. The same scene was repeated at Wilson Square, where tear gas was also deployed to remove protesters who had surrounded a police vehicle.
Opposition MPs claimed that the use of force by the police was unjustified and disproportionate, emphasizing that they had obtained permission to hold the protest. Gazmend Bardhi, leader of the Democratic parliamentary group, stated that even in past protests in front of the Prime Minister’s office, the boulevard was blocked for vehicle traffic, and it was the police’s responsibility to take measures to ensure alternative routes for traffic.
Additionally, opposition protests in front of the Tirana Municipality have been almost weekly for several months, often taking place at times that disrupt traffic and create high tension. In previous protests, Molotov cocktails were thrown, and car tires were burned, but the police never intervened with water cannons or tear gas.
After the protest ended, opposition MPs declared that some of their supporters had been detained by the police. By late evening, there was no official statement or response from the police regarding the allegations of disproportionate use of force.
