TIRANA, June 8 – Saturday’s opposition protest saw again clashes and moments of tension in front of the Albanian parliament.
After the eighth national anti-government rally kicked off in front of the government’s headquarters, the protesters carried on in front of the parliament in response to the calls of the head of the opposition’s Democratic Party Lulzim Basha.
Within a short period of time, groups apparently began to throw firecrackers, smoke bombs and fireworks towards the police lined up at the building’s entrance.
Police quickly responded by throwing tear gas and water to disperse the crowd.
President Ilir Meta called on opposition leaders to stop the protest and on demonstrators to disperse peacefully.
Basha and the opposition leaders withdrew a few minutes later to the Democratic Party’s headquarters, from where Basha once again said that the “battle continues” and that “the only solution is the departure of Prime Minister Edi Rama and the establishment of a transitional government to prepare early elections.”
President Ilir Meta’s decision to cancel the local elections date, announced on Saturday, is seen as the opposition’s “first victory.”
While Basha spoke from the DP headquarters, a group of protesters stood in front of the parliament’s headquarters. It took the return of DP Secretary General Gazmend Bardhi and SMI exponent Petrit Vasili for them to later leave, as the police guard had advanced towards the demonstrators.
