Prime Minister Edi Rama, in a statement on social media, reiterated his claim that violence during recent protests in Tirana was caused by ideologically radicalized individuals, religious extremists, and people with criminal backgrounds disguised as students.
Rama stressed that protesting is a right that must be guaranteed in every democratic country, but added that protests are intended to make people’s voices heard and that demands should therefore be addressed through dialogue.
“Yesterday, I informed you about a list of individuals with criminal records who, posing as students but having no connection whatsoever to student status, engaged in violence and have been subject to legal proceedings by the State Police. This list is representative of a violent element within the protest, which has become part of this diverse crowd with a very clear objective: to destabilize the country and divert us from our path, taking us back to the past.
Behind these individuals are organized crime and foreign actors. But what struck me was the reaction of the corrupt television channels to this list, which should, at the very least, have prompted everyone to reflect, and the continued downplaying of violence in the name of students and young people, who, according to these television channels and especially the evening TV personalities appearing on them, are part of a transformative moment for Albania.
We are paying very close attention to the genuine reasons and underlying causes that lead many people to sympathize with a protest and feel the need to demonstrate, even though they distance themselves from the violence caused by a diverse group of people ideologically radicalized by Antifa, religiously and civically radicalized individuals, and criminals who infiltrated the crowd disguised as students to commit acts of violence.
Protesting is a right that no one can dispute,” Rama said.
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