While calling for dialogue, Prime Minister Edi Rama has announced a new package of measures against people involved in acts of violence during protests, including identifying masked protesters, holding families financially responsible for damage caused by minors, and restricting access to various services.
During a meeting with bank executives, Rama addressed attacks on financial institutions and the damaging of ATMs, describing these acts as part of a scenario aimed at creating panic.
“We will roll out the package of measures, but by investing quickly in technology, we will begin anonymising profiles that incite violence. We will pursue them step by step,” Rama said.
One of the announced measures concerns the use of technology to identify people who, according to the government, are involved in acts of violence even when they try to conceal their identity.
“We will find those who are hooded, even if they sit hooded, even if they cover their entire face, because we will pursue them step by step, apart from the eyes of technology,” Rama said.
The prime minister urged citizens to distance themselves from violence, while warning that the new measures will also target those who incite such acts. Rama also announced measures that would include the families of minors who destroy the property of others.
“The bill will come to the family, the family will pay. A family whose minor comes and burns someone else’s property will not receive services from the state,” the prime minister declared.
Another element of the prime minister’s warning concerns restricting access for people who will be registered as violent, both within Albania and in European Union countries.
“We will put violent people on a register, we will close off many accesses at airports, hotels, trains, all means of transport,” Rama said.
He made it known that the government has begun cooperating with EU countries on this issue. “We have started work with EU countries to stop them from accessing those countries as violent people,” he said.
“Violence will not have a place in this country. Dialogue, the exchange of ideas, democratic confrontation, sitting at the table to find new paths,” the prime minister declared.