Security expert Gert Metani has raised concerns about the way the police have managed the gatherings and clashes with protesters. According to him, officers used excessive force, citing the use of tear gas, pepper spray and rubber batons, as well as arrests that he described as brutal.
Rakipi: We are on the 10th day of the protest. How did the police respond? And the protesters who turned to revolt? What violations do you identify?
Metani: The protest has been going on for 145 days. Even during the earlier clashes, the police abused protesters. So the police’s conduct has not been violent only during these days. The freedom of assembly is a law in itself. The State Police must undergo training. In Albania, with the 10,000 personnel it has, the training is inadequate. One of the main principles is that the police protect themselves, institutions and anyone at risk, but under no circumstances attack. We have seen police officers chase protesters through alleyways in order to abuse them.
The use of 40-millimetre gas is a military-grade use. Expired tear gas canisters were found. The carcinogenic effects on women, girls and children could have been fatal. The use of burning pepper spray by police aimed at protesters’ faces is another problem. One of the people who suffered this was me. Pepper spray was sprayed at me and for 30 minutes I could not see at all. Among the other tools used was the brutal manner of arrest and rubber batons. What sense does it make for a protester to be struck and left in the street? Striking someone and leaving them there does not show professionalism, but rather a police force carrying out its duty on the basis of orders to disperse the crowd.
Rakipi: Since you were a member of RENEA…
Metani: Yes, at the Prime Minister’s office, at the main moment of the protest, if the group of protesters were to reach the building, how would RENEA and the Prime Minister’s office protect themselves? Because RENEA (Armed Element Neutralisation Unit) knows nothing else, only to kill. The only tool RENEA has is the weapon. The destruction of private property should be criticised and prevented as an action.