Some 100 business owners in Vlore protested yesterday following the government’s decision to close nightclubs and bar-lounges and ban live music after 8 pm.
The decision, taken in an effort to curb the spread of COVID-19 has left proprietors angry as they say it will result in further severe economic circumstances. The protestors, who respected social distancing measures, requested the annulment of the decision.
“We have come out today to demand our rights as we have been deprived of the right to practice our work. There is no logic that COVID-19 circulated after 8 pm. We demand that the government cancels this normative act that has harmed many families over the last three months. We had tourists, but now they are leaving,” one owner said.
Others said they are at risk of bankruptcy due to lockdown and now, the latest decision. They noted that they had received no assistance from the state other than for employees salaries.
Earlier this week, nightclub singers and entertainers protested outside of the Prime Minister’s office in Tirana. They were forcibly and at times violently removed by the police.
