16:20. After 7 days of war and unrest, calm and peaceful moments are being seen at the Prime Minister’s Office as never before.
15:32. A part of the protesters are now in front of the Prime Minister’s Office building. State Police calls are for the protesters to leave because they have blocked road traffic.
15:28. State Police used large amounts of pressurized water to disperse protesters in the Rinia Park area. After the intervention, officers pursued young people, while reports also mention the use of rubber bullets. Police have also begun forcibly escorting some of the protesters away. The event comes within the framework of protests by young people and students, who have gathered in several areas to express their dissatisfaction. So far, there is no complete information on the number of people detained or whether there were any injuries from the police intervention.
The student protest has entered its seventh day and, as in previous days, continues to be violent, with clashes between protesters and police officers. On Monday morning, before the gathering of protesters in front of the Ministry of Education began, Prime Minister Edi Rama reacted, saying that parents will be the ones held responsible for the violent acts of their minor children at the protest, stating that they will pay for the damages. Rama said the PD became a shelter for masked protesters, adding that this party “is dreaming of a return to 21 January”. Sali Berisha accused Edi Rama of being the cause of the violence.
The Tirana Prosecutor’s Office and the State Police Oversight Agency (AMP) have registered 3 criminal reports regarding events during the protests, concerning the actions of State Police employees. Among the cases under investigation are the injury of 19-year-old Ledion Balla, whose leg was broken on 13 October, and that of 21-year-old Muhamed Skana, who was thrown to the ground by police while standing near the Ministry of Education.
In a response to the media, the Prosecutor’s Office confirms that the materials relate to the injury of the two young men, but also to other actions by officers during the protests. “The Prosecutor’s Office at the Court of First Instance of General Jurisdiction Tirana, in cooperation with the State Police Oversight Agency, has registered 3 criminal reports related to events that occurred during the protests. The registered materials relate, among other things, to events during which citizens L.B. and M.S. were injured, as well as to other actions carried out by State Police employees”, the Prosecutor’s Office response states.
19-year-old Ledion Balla suffered a leg fracture near Parliament. In the published footage, four police officers are seen carrying him by his limbs to transport him to the hospital. The young man stated that he was not part of the protest and was passing by by chance. The circumstances of his injury have not yet been clarified. Following the publication of the video, four officers and the head of Order at Police Station No. 1 were suspended from duty.
Muhamed Skana, 21, was injured on 16 October near the Ministry of Education after he was forcefully thrown onto the asphalt during a police intervention. He suffered head and spinal injuries and was taken for treatment at the Trauma Hospital. “Tirana Prosecutor’s Office, in coordination with the State Police Oversight Agency, is continuously monitoring the situation created, with the aim of documenting any possible case of violation of the law and carrying out appropriate actions in accordance with the legislation in force”, the official reaction states.
14:07. Police followed the protesters “step by step”, but this did not stop them from entering the Court of Appeal. They broke the windows at the public entrance of the institution, entered inside and set it on fire. They stayed for a few seconds and left very quickly.
14:00 A protester tried to stop a water truck, while the latter did not stop. Two water trucks were positioned in front of the Prime Minister’s Office. Asked by journalists, she said this is a form of protest, “because I have no physical strength, they beat me”.
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