FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti
A touching moment was recorded during the protest held in front of the Prime Minister's Office, where a blind citizen joined the rally and gave a speech on behalf of people with disabilities.
Speaking to the protesters, he stated that the community he represents shares the same concerns as other citizens and that for years it has faced discrimination, exclusion, and lack of opportunities.
" I, who am speaking to you, am a blind person. I represent the group of people with disabilities who have come today to join this magnificent protest. We protest together with you, because we have always felt the troubles of Albania as our troubles. We protest for a tomorrow in which the doors of the labor market are not closed to people with disabilities. That there is no discrimination. Our misfortune is not our disabilities, but the government, which has never thought about our needs, but has only oppressed, isolated and excluded us. We are in this protest so that when this protest reaches its goal, we will not have to protest separately. Our troubles are also yours. Your troubles are also ours ," he said.
His speech was met with applause from those present, while his message of solidarity with the protesters became one of the most special moments of the rally.
One of the most touching moments of the protest held this Saturday in front of the Prime Minister's Office was the speech by the aunt of 15-year-old Erjon Boba, who lost his life after being stabbed by a peer.
Amidst tears and emotions, she confessed the family's pain, while articulating strong accusations against state institutions, claiming that the state of the healthcare system also contributed to the tragedy that took the life of her nephew.
"I am Erion's aunt. He was stabbed to death by a peer, but the state also killed him, because during the operation the lights in the hospital were turned off! The wounds of this country are the tears of Albanian mothers who do not have their children. Join all their tears, which weigh heavily on the Albanian land. I am a teacher and a poet who writes, but my pen has been weeping for Erion for months. Our pain will heal when Albania heals. Hurry up to save this country! Bravo Albanian youth, enjoy beautiful Albania!", she said to the protesters.
Her speech was met with applause from those present, while many protesters accompanied her with calls for justice. The statement by the 15-year-old's family brought back to attention the case that shocked public opinion and debates on the safety of young people, the functioning of institutions and the health system in the country.
Her presence at the protest was one of the most emotional moments of the rally, where the voices of the victims' families joined the protesters' calls for justice and institutional accountability.
Activist Florian Haçkaj joined the protesters in front of the Prime Minister's Office today, on its 14th day. During his speech, Haçkaj stated that through this protest they should give a kick to Edi Rama and the political class.
Through a popular expression, the activist declared that the state should be played with and not the advice of ancestors should be followed.
"We were raised telling us not to play with fire, water, and the state, but we have to play."
"Today we have had protests all over the world, I have often heard Rama resign, when these people get on top of their horses they don't get off. You must join us here, the dedicated ones in the diaspora, and kick him out, overthrow not only Rama, but this rotten class," he said.
A young man who introduced himself as Everest Bardhi, 19 years old from Fani i Mirdita, told the story of his father, a former nurse in the Tirana Emergency Room, at the protest in front of the Prime Minister's Office.
He said that his father had a patient die due to lack of oxygen in the ambulance.
At the end of the message, he addressed the prime minister, declaring that he does not seek revenge, but that God will do justice for all Albanians.
Protester: I am Everest Bardhi, 19 years old from Fani i Mirdita. My father was once a nurse, knowing who is in charge of the country, Ramovici, in the Tirana emergency room, a person died for oxygen in the ambulance. Just like a fish dies for water in the sea. Shame. The first cause for my father. I tell the Prime Minister that I will not take revenge, I have left you to the great God, the great God will return the sins not only of my father, but of all Albanians.
As anti-government protests expand and chants of "Rama resign" are heard from the boulevard to public events, Prime Minister Edi Rama has reacted harshly to the protesters, denouncing what he calls a climate of pressure and intimidation. In a lengthy response, the head of government went as far as comparing them to extremist movements in history, as protesters continue to mobilize against the government and the political class.
As anti-government protests enter their third week and gain more and more public attention, Prime Minister Edi Rama has reacted with one of his harshest stances yet towards protesters and their supporters on social media.
The head of government's reaction comes just a day after chants like "Rama, resign" were heard at singer Yll Limani's concert, while a strong political debate subsequently took place on social media about the artist and his participation in the event.
In a lengthy public reaction, Rama strongly condemned the online attacks against the singer, describing them as part of a broader phenomenon that, according to him, is accompanying the protests of recent days.
The Prime Minister spoke of a climate of pressure, intimidation, and threats against anyone who does not join the protests, while arguing that the idea is being created that anyone who does not protest is labeled as an opponent or enemy.
Rama even went further, drawing historical comparisons with extremist movements of the past. He mentioned Benito Mussolini's black squads in Italy, Nazi militants in Germany, and the Greek extremist organization "Golden Dawn," warning of the danger that, according to him, the spirit of exclusion and pressure on dissent brings.
According to the Prime Minister, protest is a democratic right that must be respected, but he accused some protesters of exerting pressure on citizens who do not join the movement.
Rama's reaction comes at a time when protests that were initially launched over issues related to strategic investments on the coast have turned into rallies with overt political demands. Recent protests have included calls for the government's resignation, the arrest of the political class, and SPAK's intervention against senior officials.
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I don't know Ylli Limani.
I don't listen to his music. But I consider the online violence against him, the violent calls to boycott his concert, the threats after his success last night, as the most despicable expression of a phenomenon that is accompanying the boulevard protest; a form of degradation of public life on social channels now elevated to a new level of group violence, which should not be justified, should not be relativized and should not be accepted by hiding in the corner of silence, but should be fought with the power of the word.
Fakti është se po bie pak e nga pak histeria ndërkombëtare e rrjeteve sociale, e cila nuk ka asnjë lidhje me natyrën e Shqipërisë, me Zvërnecin a me flamingot e Nartës, por ushqehet nga kundërshtira ideologjike të sojsoshme, ku padyshim kundërshtia ndaj Presidentit amerikan është kryesorja fare - se ndryshe dyshoj shumë që një ndërkombëtar i vetëm do të merrej me një projekt zhvillimi turistik në Shqipëri. E s’ka si ndodh ndryshe, do bjerë pak e nga pak, sepse Shqipëria është një shesh shumë i vogël për përsheshin global anti-Trump!
Por nga ana tjetër po ngrihet përditë e më shumë një dallgë dhune verbale, plot presion, vulgaritet e kërcënime ndaj kujtdo që nuk rreshtohet me protestuesit e bulevardit, që nga thirrjet rrugëve “çohuni nga kafja” se medemek atdheu ju thërret, tek thirrjet për të bllokuar rrugë se medemek kush do të bëjë punë të tjera duhet detyruar të merret me punën atdhetare të bulevardit, e deri tek një histeri intimiduese online në emër të atdheut që s’ka asnjë lidhje me elegancën e me paqen e flamingove!
Historia na ka treguar më shumë se sa njëherë dhe më shpesh se sa në një kohë, që kjo është pikërisht forma se si janë shfaqur historikisht shumë lëvizje të cilat më pas janë shndërruar në shembëlltyra të organizuara të intolerancës politike e sociale. Jo duke bindur me argumente logjikë, por duke u imponuar me presion pseudo- moral. Jo duke respektuar të drejtën e tjetrit për të menduar ndryshe, por duke e shpallur tradhtar, të shitur, armik të popullit apo bashkëpunëtor të së keqes këdo që nuk i nënshtrohet thirrjes pseudo-atdhetare.
Me auto-sugjestionin se vetëm një grup njerëzish zotëron të vërtetën absolute, ushqehet përçmimi ndaj shumicës që nuk bashkohet me ta dhe mbështetet ideja e ligë, se ata që nuk protestojnë duhen turpëruar, izoluar, penguar apo deri edhe largqoftë, dhunuar fizikisht derisa të detyrohen të zgjedhin anë. Dhe kështu demokracia nuk merr më shumë frymë, po fillon të humbasë pulsin e saj.
Asnjë lëvizje ekstremiste nuk nis duke marrë pushtetin me forcë, po duke pretenduar se vetëm ajo e përfaqëson kombin, vetëm ajo e dëgjon zërin e popullit dhe vetëm ajo ka të drejtën morale për të vendosur në emër të popullit, se kush është patriot e kush jo.
Në Itali, skuadronet e zeza të Musolinit u shfaqën duke intimiduar kundërshtarët në rrugë para se të pushtonin institucionet - kush ecte në punën e tij ishte shënjestra e tyre e preferuar. Në Gjermani, militantët nazistë krijuan rrugëve një klimë frike e presioni shoqëror, kohë përpara se të fitonin pushtetin - çohuni nga kafja ishte ulërima e tyre e preferuar. Në Greqi, Agimi i Artë u ngrit mbi të njëjtën frymë përjashtuese, agresive dhe nacionaliste, duke ushqyer ndasi, urrejtje dhe presion ndaj kujtdo që nuk i nënshtrohej hajvanllëkut të vet pseudo-patriotik, për Greqinë që duhet të ishte vetëm e grekëve!
"We are the true people" and whoever is not with us is "the enemy of the people", is the formula that precedes serious political and social consequences when this formula is embraced by a group of people with a limited vocabulary, but with a sacred grudge.
And this is not at all a question of anyone protesting today being hastily labeled as neo-fascist, absolutely not, because many of the perpetrators of online violence do not even know what they are doing! But the point is that whoever violates online those who do not align themselves with the protest, which is indisputably the majority of the Albanian people (even beyond the majority that supports the Socialist Party government), not only does it not make Albania better, it is striking right where Albania has its strongest point, its organic rejection of the national-socialist or neo-communist spirit, from which Albanians have seen the black pepper and which have also united on the boulevard the political extremes of pretended Albanianness, from the scoundrels to the idiots, without forgetting the tired coup-states of 1998 or those who came from other Albanian regions to protect Albania from the development of tourism!
Therefore, the discussion is not at all about whether someone protests or not. Protest is a democratic right and must always be respected; the ruling majority of the Socialist Party considers respect for protest one of the many democratic achievements of this period. But also the right to speech is more important than the content of the words and when the protest casts its shadow, the claim that those who do not protest are less of a citizen, less of a patriot or less of an Albanian, then democracy is not endangered from above but from below.
And history has taught us more than once that when dialogue is replaced by anathema, argument by insults, and persuasion by intimidation, and when the crowd takes advantage by giving itself the right to decide who has the right to speak and who does not, the outcome is never freedom but its end. In this spirit, Albania only loses, the economy only shrinks, investments only leave, and the future only becomes cloudy.
But this people has not come this far to go back to where they were, but to climb higher. Without fear of heights they have never been to, but with the conviction that what has prevented them from reaching there for centuries will no longer prevent them, and with the determination to make it to the end this time, even if all the devils come together to do it as they have done more than once in their painful history.
The mother of the minor who lost her life after a knife attack demanded justice and safety for the children, while joining the 14th protest in front of the Prime Minister's Office.
One of the most emotional moments of the 14th consecutive protest in front of the Prime Minister's Office was the speech by the mother of Martin Can, the minor who lost his life after being stabbed by a peer.
Amidst the applause of the protesters, she took to the podium and spoke about the pain of losing her son, demanding safety for the children and justice for Albanian families.
"I thought I would join you for my child and Albanian children wherever they are. We want security! I took him to school and he never came back. Not from lack of education, but from the carelessness of those who have degraded education, healthcare, and everything in between!"
I have been protesting for 18 months and my heart is filled as I see Tirana filled with youth! We want justice and order in the courts, we want justice! Down with this criminal government, down with Edi Rama! We want justice! ", she said to the protesters.
Her statement was met with reactions and applause from the participants, while many of them accompanied it with calls for justice. The presence of Martin Can's mother at the protest was considered one of the most significant moments of the rally, bringing back to attention the demands for more security in schools and for the full clarification of the cases that have shocked public opinion.
One of the most poignant moments in today's protest in front of the Prime Minister's Office was the appearance of a protester with her hands tied with a chain and a mask of Prime Minister Edi Rama's face.
The protester held a banner above her head with the inscription "Defendant Edi Rama, traitor to the nation," while the chains and padlock in her hands were interpreted by those present as a symbolic form of protest against the head of government.
The sight attracted the attention of protesters and passersby, becoming one of the most commented images of the rally. The action took place amidst numerous chants and banners that accompanied the march towards the Prime Minister's Office, where citizens expressed their positions on political developments in the country.
Symbols, masks, and banners have been among the most present elements of the 14th consecutive protest, where participants have chosen to convey their messages through various artistic and symbolic forms.
Protesters demand Dumani's return to head of SPAK: We want the arrest of politicians
The protest held in front of the Prime Minister's Office was accompanied by strong calls against the political class, but also by direct demands for the return of Altin Dumani to the head of SPAK.
During the rally, one of the protesters took the floor, demanding that Dumani, who has completed his mandate as head of the Special Structure Against Corruption and Organized Crime, return to the leadership of the institution to continue the crackdown on corruption and senior officials.
In his speech, the protester called on SPAK to act as soon as possible against what he described as the "oligarchic mafia" and corrupt political class.
" Do you agree with the return of Altin Dumani for another term, with the arrest of this political class? Altin Dumani is back, take the reins of the arrests as soon as possible. SPAK, act while it is not too late. You have the trust of the Albanian people. Albanians demand justice and the arrest of the oligarchic mafia, the arrest of this political class as soon as possible, we want justice. Edi Rama, you traitor, resign as soon as possible ," said the protester.
The call was met with applause and support from some of the participants in the protest, which for days has gone beyond opposition to certain projects and has transformed into a movement with open political demands against the government and the country's ruling elite.
Protesters declare that they will continue to mobilize in the coming days, insisting that Albania needs justice, accountability, and punishment of corruption at the highest levels of power.
Citizens from Albania and the diaspora have joined the 14th consecutive protest in Tirana, while the most heard refrain during the march was "Rama in prison, Berisha in prison."
Under the slogans "Rama resign" and "New Albania", hundreds of protesters have begun the march towards the Prime Minister's Office as part of the 14th consecutive protest taking place in the capital.
The atmosphere on the “Martyrs of the Nation” boulevard was accompanied by banners, national flags and continuous calls against the political class. Among the most heard slogans during the protest was “Rama in prison, Berisha in prison”, a message that was repeated by the protesters during the march and that became the main refrain of the rally.
The protest featured dozens of banners with political, ironic and satirical messages directed at key figures in Albanian politics. One of them read "Everything changes... even Caesar was an emperor, now he is a salad," accompanied by caricatures that mocked the cult of the individual in politics.
Another message that was often heard during the protest was the call "Join us," through which organizers and participants appealed to other citizens to join the movement.
The participants expressed their dissatisfaction with the political situation in the country, while demanding accountability for what they consider the failure of the political elite over the past three decades. Through slogans and banners, the protesters aimed to convey the message that their dissatisfaction is not only related to the current government, but to the entire political class that has led the country over the years.
The march also featured the participation of Albanian immigrants, who have arrived from various countries in Europe and beyond to join the protest. Albanian flags were flying in the square, as well as symbols of countries where large Albanian communities live, with British flags clearly dominating the crowd.
Similar protests are taking place in various countries around the world where Albanians live, in an effort to coordinate the voice of the diaspora with that of citizens in Albania.
As the march approaches the Prime Minister's Office, protesters continue their calls against the government and the political class, demanding change, justice, and a new model of governance for the country.
Citizen protests against the government and the political class have entered their 14th day, as hundreds of citizens gathered this Sunday in front of the Prime Minister's Office in Tirana, demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama and a change in the political system in the country.
Under the slogans "Rama resign", "Berisha in prison, Rama in prison" and "New Albania", protesters gathered in front of the government headquarters, continuing the mobilization that has been sweeping across different areas of the country for almost two weeks.
The protest movement originated in opposition to coastal tourism projects, initially in Zvërnec and then in Rrjoll, where residents raised concerns about the protection of private property, the transparency of strategic investments and their impact on the environment. However, as the days passed, the protest took on a broader political character, transforming into a manifestation against the government and what the organizers call the “political caste of transition.”
Albanian national flags were seen during the rally, as well as symbols of the countries where Albanian immigrants live. In particular, flags of the United Kingdom dominated, while a significant number of immigrants have traveled to Albania to join the protest.
According to organizers, the participation of immigrants is a result of calls made in recent days for a nationwide mobilization, with the aim of expanding the movement and giving it greater reach both at home and abroad.
Protesters declare that the rallies will continue in the coming days, insisting that their demands now go beyond local issues and are related to profound political and institutional changes in the country.
A symbolic moment of the 14th consecutive protest in front of the Prime Minister's Office was the placement of dozens of pairs of sneakers in the square in front of the institution.
Protesters described this action as a way to represent young people who have left the country in recent years due to a lack of economic and social opportunities.
The athletes lined up along the entrance to the Prime Minister's Office, creating a symbolic image of the absence of a significant part of Albanian youth. According to the participants, they represent thousands of young people who have chosen emigration as the only alternative to build their future.
Through this action, the protesters aimed to draw attention to what they consider one of the country's biggest social ills. They emphasized that the exodus of young people is affecting not only the labor market, but also Albania's economic development and long-term prospects.
Protesters have appeared again with banners, calls and messages against Rama and the old political caste...
The 14th consecutive protest organized in Tirana began this Saturday afternoon, where citizens from the capital and other cities in the country gathered in front of the Prime Minister's Office.
Participants began gathering at the protest site in the afternoon, holding banners and national flags. Organizers have called for mass participation, describing the rally as a continuation of the civic response to the issues they say are affecting the country.
Today's protest marks the 14th consecutive rally, following a series of demonstrations held in recent weeks. It focuses on demands for greater transparency, institutional accountability, and addressing the concerns raised by protesters.
A large police force has been deployed at the scene to ensure order and security during the rally. As of the time of publication of this news, the protest is taking place without incident.
As on other days, speeches are expected to be held in front of the prime minister's office today, followed by marches on the streets of the capital. A larger turnout is expected today, as the citizens who have taken over the organization of the protest have called on Albanians from all areas of the country, but also those living outside Albania, to show solidarity and join the rally.
What is striking these days is the fact that the protest has long since transcended the cause that initially ignited it. In the streets of Tirana, cries are heard not only against the government, but also against the political class as a whole, reflecting a broader dissatisfaction that goes beyond a single issue.
For many of the participants, the protest has become a reaction to corruption, misgovernment, the exodus of young people from the country, the lack of trust in institutions, and the protracted political transition that has dominated Albania for more than three decades.
International media have broadcasted the protest in Tirana "live", which on the 11th day is considered one of the largest to be organized in the Albanian capital in at least the last 20 years. The special thing about the citizen protests is that they are completely peaceful and no incidents have been recorded, which seems to have kept the security forces, who are anyway monitoring the situation from afar, at a distance.
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