Prime Minister Edi Rama presented a new law on Sunday that would require individuals to pay for damage they cause during public gatherings. The law sets fines of up to 500,000 lek for people who remain at violent protests after police warn them to leave.

Rama said the law follows the French model and shifts the cost of property damage from taxpayers to those responsible. It covers notified, banned and spontaneous public gatherings, including sporting, cultural and festive events that result in damage to public or private property.

The law does not penalise people simply for protesting or attending a gathering. Instead, it ties financial liability to individual conduct. Rama said anyone who stays at a violent gathering after a police warning could face a fine if violence and property destruction continue around them.

The rules exempt journalists, medical staff, observers, public officials performing their duties and passers-by. For minors over the age of 14 who take part in violent protests, parents or legal guardians would pay the fine under the Civil Code. Rama added that the fine would constitute an enforceable legal title and take effect immediately.