Democratic Party (PD) chairman Lulzim Basha and former Prime Minister Sali Berisha held simultaneous press conferences to discuss today’s protest at the PD headquarters.
Basha invited Albanian media to visit the headquarters to assess the damage done today by protestors. He then held a press conference where he condemned Berisha for the violence his supporters had shown during the event, claiming Berisha is using the few PD members who support him as a façade.
He also condemned the Albanian police, declaring they had taken too long to respond to the situation. The police intervened more than one hour into the protest, as protestors attempted to enter the building using hammers to smash windows and doors.
Responding to questions by Albanian journalists, Basha denied claims that his supporters had used tear gas and other weapons against Berisha’s supporters.
Meanwhile, at his own press conference, Berisha said the police’s intervention had been unnecessary, as the protest had been largely peaceful.
He also condemned the police for stopping more than a dozen people who had been involved in the protest.
Once again, he warned there would be further protests to take back the PD’s headquarters and the whole party.
