The police have used tear gas and water cannons to disperse hundreds of protesters who were trying to reach the General Directorate of Police.
Peaceful protesters started their fifth day of protest on Sunday, demanding the sacking of police chief Ardi Veliu and the reforming of the police, after 25-year-old Klodian Rasha was shot dead during coronavirus curfew hours by a police officer. They accuse the government of trying to manipulate the evidence and blame the victim.
Minister of Interior Sander Lleshaj resigned following the incident, but Prime Minister Edi Rama has firmly refused to sack the chief of police.
Protesters walked peacefully from the central square in Tirana to the Prime Minister’s Office building during the protest. Then they headed toward the Police Directorate but were stopped by riot police before entering the street. Some protesters threw stones to police, who responded with tear gas and water cannons, dispersing the crowd. Dozens of protesters were detained.
Protesters then walked toward the main square, followed closely by riot police and water cannons. When they tried to approach a Christmas tree defended by dozens of policemen, they were attacked with tear gas. Police ran after fleeing protesters and detained more of them.
Today’s protest was the most peaceful compared to the recent ones when protesters vandalized windows of public buildings, trash bins and road signs.
Asked about the vandalism during protests, one of the protesters told A2 CNN on live television that the damaging of windows, trash bins and road signs are not important, unlike the demolition of the National Theater and Tirana’s historic center to give way to high-rise buildings through corrupt procedures.
It’s not clear whether today’s protest has completely died out after the tear gas, water cannons and detentions.
Read more: Albanian Minister Calls Protesters “Thugs”, Accuses Them of Being Paid to Be Violent
