FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti
The boulevard was packed with protesters from all over Albania and the diaspora. Strong symbols, calls against the political caste and a march that lasted for hours on the streets of the capital
The 35th day of the protest marked an extraordinary civic mobilization. Thousands of protesters from Tirana, the districts and the diaspora joined the national protest, filling the "Martyrs of the Nation" Boulevard in a gathering that turned into the largest demonstration held so far.
Aerial footage showed the square in front of the Prime Minister's Office filled with citizens, while the column of protesters extended to the area of the former Hotel Dajti. The boulevard was dominated by red and black flags, as well as those of the United States of America, on the day when the 250th anniversary of US Independence was marked.
What began 35 days ago as a protest against the project in Zvërnec has now transformed into a broad movement against the political caste. This was also demonstrated by the chants that dominated the entire rally: "Rama in prison, Berisha in prison", "Revolution", "New Albania", "Rama resign" and "The end has come for you".
One of the main demands of the protesters was the release of citizens arrested after clashes with police during Thursday's protest in front of the Parliament. The cry "Free the boys" was heard continuously throughout the rally.
The protest was also accompanied by a series of symbols. On the occasion of Prime Minister Edi Rama's birthday, protesters brought a cake that read: "The people congratulate you! Resign, take Saliu with you."
A coffin was also displayed, which protesters described as "Rama's political coffin", while later they brought a bust that, according to them, represented the prime minister. The bust was symbolically toppled amid cheers from the crowd and was described by protesters as "the last bust of the dictatorship", in a parallel with the toppling of the monument to Enver Hoxha.
From the podium, the organizers reiterated that the protest will not deviate from its peaceful character, despite the tensions of recent days. They stated that they distance themselves from any attempt at provocation or acts of violence, while calling for the resignation of the prime minister in a peaceful manner.
After the rally in front of the Prime Minister's Office ended, the protest did not disperse. Thousands of citizens began marching towards Police Station No. 3, where some of the arrested protesters are being held. In front of the police building, chants of "Free the boys" were heard again, while the crowd filled the entire stretch of the street, with the column of protesters stretching all the way to the center of Tirana.
Even after stopping in front of the police station, citizens continued their march through the streets of the capital, descending towards Zog i Zi. Along the entire route, the streets of Tirana echoed with chants of "Rama go", "Rama resign", "Your end has come", "Revolution" and "New Albania", turning the capital into the scene of the largest protest held in these 35 days.
With the massive participation and the march that crossed some of Tirana's main axes, today's protest marked another stage of this civic movement, which has now gone from a local cause to a broad revolt against the political class, with the demand for change and the removal of the government. / Pamphlet
Lini një Përgjigje