FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti
Amidst the chants of "Rama resigns," "Your end has come," and "Albania in the clouds," two of the speeches that drew the most attention on the 17th day of the protest in front of the Prime Minister's Office were those of a young girl who graduated in Italy and a 13-year-old student from Tirana.
The protest, which began as an opposition to tourism projects in Zvërnec and Sazan, is increasingly taking the form of a civic revolt against the government and the political class as a whole. Citizens are taking to the podium every day to narrate their problems and the reasons why they have chosen to take to the streets.
One of them was a young woman, graduated in Italy, who said that for a year and a half she has been wandering around state offices to have her diploma recognized, while she continues to remain unemployed.
" I graduated in Italy, but my diploma is still not being recognized. I have been waiting for a year and a half and no one has given me a solution. What will be done for people with disabilities? Will they be provided with jobs? If things are so good in Albania, as you tell us every day, why are people leaving? Why is the airport full? ", she asked from the podium, amid applause from protesters.
The young woman said she is speaking not only for herself, but for an entire generation that, according to her, is facing a lack of opportunities and an administration that does not respond to citizens.
At the end of her speech, she joined the political calls of the protest.
" Rama in jail, Berisha in jail. Repeal the strategic investment law. Mr. Prime Minister, resign ," she declared.
But another moment that moved the protesters was the speech of a 13-year-old student, who said he had come to the protest because he believes that Albania cannot survive without historical memory and without the protection of national identity.
" I am a student at the 'Kosova' school. I am 13 years old and I come from a family that is raising me with patriotism. I may be young, but I am not blind to what is happening ," he said.
The young man showed that his passion is history and that it was history that pushed him to protest.
" I am passionate about history and I know that every inch of this country has been washed in blood. Nothing has been forgiven. When memory is erased, nations risk assimilation. When roots are cut, Albanians disappear. Don't cut off our roots ," he said.
In a message that was met with applause from the crowd, the 13-year-old said he fears Albanians are losing control of their country.
" I may be too young to give an opinion, but this is an invasion that is coming secretly, under the rug. If we continue like this, one day we will see ourselves as foreigners in our own country. Albania belongs to Albanians ," he declared.
The speeches of the young woman and the student became two of the most commented moments of today's protest, bringing immigration, the lack of prospects for young people, and the fear that the country is losing the next generation to the center of the debate.
As the protest enters its third week, the podium in front of the Prime Minister's Office is increasingly transforming into a space where citizens tell their personal stories, but also their dissatisfaction with the way the country is being governed.
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