The Popular Struggle in Albania Enters its 15th Consecutive Day
Featured image: Demonstration in Tirana, Albania. Source: Balkan Web
As the popular struggles on the streets of Albania enters their 15th consecutive day, the government have announced sweeping legal and financial penalties against the anti-government protests. Despite this, the protesters keep raising their demands and the struggle against the State repressive forces, with clashes being reported on a near daily basis since our last report on the struggles.
You can read our last report on the struggles in Albania here:
On October 24, a demonstration gathered outside the Prime Minister’s Office after a march through central Tirana. Once more, the symbolic cushions placed outside the building by Edi Rama’s government to “encourage dialogue” were burned by protesters. 2,000 police officers had been deployed in the capital in anticipation of this march and demonstration. Police attacked the demonstrators with tear gas, water cannons, batons, riot shields and rubber bullets, which caused one protester to lose his eye. Protesters have been and continue to defend themselves with fireworks, rocks and petrol bombs.
The clashes continued throughout October 25 and 26 and there are also reports of clashes today, on October 27, with protesters gathering outside the Prime Minister’s office, and clashes continuing into the night.
On October 26, the government announced several legal and financial repressive measures against the anti-government protesters, such as bans on foreign travel, up to around 6,200 USD in fines, up to 72 hour detention, restrictions on the right to free assembly as well as a special police registry of people suspected of protest-related offenses.
