Tonight there was a rare gesture from the protest. A protester handed a bottle of water to special forces officers and said that he had spent all the money he had in his pocket to buy it. Others approached and offered their hands to the police officers. These gestures honor the protest and the citizens who take part in it.
They are there to oppose, to demand accountability and to raise their voices about their concerns. Yet they also show care for the person in uniform standing opposite them. They understand his fatigue, offer him water and shake his hand. This is civic maturity and deserves public recognition.
Giving away the few coins you have in your pocket to give water to another is solidarity that speaks for itself. In a moment of tension, that protester chose to do a good deed. With that action he also helps calm the situation, setting an example for everyone.
These protesters demonstrate that determination and humanity can go hand in hand. You can be dissatisfied, insist on change with persistence, and at the same time respect the other person. An outstretched hand does not weaken their demands; it makes their voice even more worthy of being heard.
One of the protesters, masked, addressed a police officer, telling him that their anger is not directed at the blue uniforms, but at Prime Minister Edi Rama.
“We want to tell you only that we have nothing against you. Forgive us for every stone. Every stone against you is against Edi Rama. We don’t know you, and we don’t know who you are. We are all friends and comrades to you,” the protester said.
Meanwhile, another protester was seen speaking with an officer, to whom he gave the advice to take off the uniform.
“If you take off the uniform, you will do better. That’s my opinion, you do as you wish. We respect you.”
Therefore, these citizens deserve respect, but also attention to the concerns they have raised publicly. Institutions have a responsibility to listen to them, and the police should respond in the same spirit of respect.
Tonight, the protesters who offered water and shook hands showed a precious strength: the ability to demand their rights while preserving humanity.
