The Albanian police and Shkoder municipality have accused each other over the Friday violent protest that resulted in the breaking in and burning by protesters of all furniture of a ruling Socialist Party branch office.
The police filed criminal charges against 48 people, including Mayor Voltana Ademi from the opposition on Saturday. They consider Ademi and 7 of them as organizers of the protest. Among those charged are also two firefighters, whom the police accuse of failing to react on time upon their request.
One day earlier, Mayor Ademi filed charges with the prosecution against the Shkoder police, claiming that they failed to answer on time to her calls to stop the violence during the Friday protest. She distanced her institution from the violence, and claimed that police appeared 40 minutes after her calls.
Of the 61 municipalities in Albania, Ademi is the only opposition mayor.
On Friday, violent protesters broke into a Socialist Party branch office in Shkoder, took all furniture out in the street and set it on fire. The police then walked in using tear gas, causing the crowd to disperse.
