This Saturday afternoon, Prime Minister Edi Rama posted a video depicting police chasing and hitting people in the streets on his Facebook page.
His caption claimed that the events of the video took place yesterday in Spain. He said that the video depicted Spanish police attempting to keep people away from streets and public spaces as the country undergoes a crisis due to coronavirus.
The Prime Minister threatened to order the Albanian police and armed forces to act likewise when dealing with people who break the government-imposed curfew.
🔴 KËTË VIDEO NGA SPANJA KU DJE VDIQ NJË NJERI ÇDO KATËR MINUTA, PO E POSTOJ PËR TË GJITHË ATA QË DO SHKOJNË TË BËJNË PAZAR NGA E HËNA E DERI NË FUND TË LUFTËS! 🔴 O NJË NGA NJË, NË RADHË SI USHTARË DHE ME DURIM E NË DISTANCË NGA NJËRI – TJETRI TË MBAROJNË TË GJITHË PUNË ME RADHË, PA VRARË NJERËZ MAJTAS – DJATHTAS, O PASTAJ ME VRAP E PA BËRË DOT AS PAZAR…🔴 ZGJIDHNI E MERRNI, SE FORCAT E RENDIT E KANË NDARË MENDJEN TOP DHE KANË PËRGJEGJËSINË HISTORIKE TË REAGOJNË PA ASNJË TOLERANCË👊
Gepostet von Edi Rama am Samstag, 21. März 2020
However, the video posted by the Prime Minister was not from yesterday and did not depict Spain. Exit found that the people in the video are in fact Algerian protesters being beaten by the police for protesting their government.
The police indiscriminately beats peaceful protesters and passersby in #Algiers today. Rest assured: NOTHING CAN STOP AN IDEA WHOSE TIME HAS COME!#A_civilian_not_a_military_state #Algeria #Algerie #Alger #Argelia #Algerien #Hirak #الجزائر#Øراك_السبت#ما_نخلّصش #صعد_Øراكك pic.twitter.com/xNgdgUd9mQ
— Algeria Revolt (@AlgeriaRevolt) March 7, 2020
The Prime Minister’s attempts to pass off these images as a government’s ‘normal’ reaction in a time of crisis may be a cause for concern.
