Confrontation erupts as MPs gather for the final parliamentary session before the summer holidays, as daily anti-government demonstrations continue.
Vladimir Karaj
Hundreds of protesters clashed with police in front of parliament on Thursday in the Albanian capital, Tirana, as MPs convened for their last session before the summer holiday.
The clash started when police tried to push a barricade forwards several metres to stop protesters from throwing eggs and tomatoes at MPs’ cars entering the parliaments building. When this attempt to move the protesters away failed, police used pepper spray and water cannon to disperse the rally.
At least one police officer and one protester were injured when stones were thrown. Dozens of protesters were affected by chemicals used in the water cannon; some required medical treatment.
Citizens.al, a local platform promoting civic journalism, said that one of its journalists, Vjolanda Peca, had been arrested while reporting on the protest. “Our editorial office condemns this act and calls on authorities to guarantee that journalists perform their duty freely, safely and without any pressure,” the platform said.
The protest in front of parliament was part of the ongoing rallies nicknamed the “Flamingo Revolution,” which started in opposition to planned tourist developments deemed threatening to bird life and the environment, including a project linked to Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner. They have widened to include calls for Prime Minister Edi Rama’s resignation and an end to the rule of the two political parties that have governed the country for decades.
