TIRANA, Feb.22 – Tirana City Hall plans for building a children’s playground inside the city’s Great Park have met with the fierce opposition of civil society activists and supporters of the Democratic Party leading to violent protests this week.
While the municipality maintains that the zone will turn into a recreational area for kids, protesters suspect this is just an alibi and that bars and restaurants will be built instead.
Violent protests were first registered on Sunday after activists clashed with police while trying to tear down the enclosure surrounding the construction site.
Several activists were arrested after the scuffles with police that ensued.
One of the police officers hit a female protester in the face, further irritating the protesters.
Ombudsman Igli Totozani slammed the use of force by police against the protesters considering police violence towards citizens as unjustifiable in any case and under any circumstance.
Interior Minister Saimir Tahiri would later on announce the immediate suspension of the officer who hit the woman via a Facebook status.
“It is absolutely unacceptable and intolerable to strike a woman, this is not the police that we want,” Tahiri said.
Meanwhile, the General Prosecution has launched an investigation regarding the use of excessive force by the police uniforms.
Reacting to the protests, Tirana’s City Hall said through a press release that “the protests were staged by those who do not want the city’s development and that the city’s aspirations cannot be hampered by loud vandals.”
However, protests continued on Monday with opposition supporters tearing down the fence used to replace the enclosure that the protesters had pulled down the day before. Heavy machinery at the site was also damaged by angry protesters, while police this time chose not to intervene. The crowd then moved the fence in front of the city hall, which they also pelted with eggs and tomatoes.
Last week, Tirana Mayor Erion Veliaj said that some old trees were being cut down to pave the way for the construction of a children’s playground. Civil society organizations and the Democratic Party have maintained a firm stance against the decision.
Tirana’s main park is considered as the lungs of the capital in a city notorious for its high level of air pollution.
Hence, opposition against constructions within the park’s perimeter has been stiff. Civil society groups have previously staged protests for the construction of some multi-storey buildings near the artificial lake, while only a few months ago the government abandoned plans to erect three buildings at the entrance of the park after public pressure.
