A protest has been organised for today by the Alliance for the Protection of the Theatre.
It will take place at 16:30 near the site of the theatre which was demolished yesterday. Members of the Alliance, artists, writers, intellectuals, journalists, students, and members of civil society are expected to attend to protest against what they call “a dictatorship”.
The image circulating for the protest includes a picture of protestors’ from last year’s protests, holding an Albanian and EU flag against a backdrop of teargas. It includes the words “poshte diktatura”- “down with the dictator”.
The opposition later announced that they would support the protest as well. They demanded the presence of as many supporters as possible to demand justice for the “macabre crime”.
Opposition leader Lulzim Basha said: “It is not a protest in defense of the theatre, but against tyranny and the flagrant violation of the law.”
Protests took place throughout the day yesterday with multiple examples of police, without ID badges, exercising excessive force and even violence on protestors, journalists, students, and activists. A group of 16 human rights organisations called for support from local and international institutions and embassies against the authoritarian tendencies of the government.
“We find ourselves in a difficult position and are threatened by violence and constant state repression…The demolition is not the greatest danger in these moments, but the suppression of freedom of thought and civil resistance which is setting a dangerous precedent in our country”, they wrote.
In the early hours of Sunday morning, hundreds of police stormed the Theatre and forcibly, and violently removed activists and other members of civil society from inside. They used batons and tear gas and arrested a number of them.
Shortly after their release, they denounced the government for starting the demolition while they were still inside of the building. Exit confirmed this with three other sources, including Exit staff member Ergin Zaloshnija.
