Journalist Klodiana Lala has raised serious concerns about the measures taken to protect the headquarters of the Socialist Party and state institutions during protests in Tirana. She criticized the involvement of public officials in confrontations with protesters, as well as the deployment of special forces to manage the demonstrations.
Referring to an incident near the SP headquarters, Lala stated that several local officials came out of the headquarters armed with sticks and became involved in clashes with protesters. She considered this a worrying situation, questioning why the protection of political institutions is not left solely to the structures responsible for public order.
”There was an episode at the SP headquarters. Two days ago, protesters went there near the headquarters with only a few stones. From inside the SP headquarters, which is the governing party and Rama is its chairman, local officials came out armed with sticks. So, a government that does not trust the law enforcement bodies and its police is protecting its own headquarters with parallel force”,-she said on ”News 24”.
The journalist also claimed that similar situations have been observed near the Ministry of Interior and other institutions. According to information she made public, officials equipped with heavy tools are stationed inside several state buildings, ready to physically confront protesters if they enter the premises.
During the interview, Lala also criticized the way the government is presenting the protest movement to public opinion. She argued that labeling protesters as violent persons aims to create a negative perception of them and to justify the authorities’ reaction.