The opposition protest in front of the Prime Minister's Office was accompanied by tensions and clashes between protesters and police forces. During the rally, Molotov cocktails, fireworks and other pyrotechnic devices were thrown at the officers, while the police responded with water cannons and tear gas to disperse the crowd.
Tensions also continued near the Ministry of Interior, where the opposition protest moved. Protesters were seen holding fireworks as they pointed them at police forces, who had set up a security cordon to block the march. After the police intervened with water cannon and tear gas, the protesters retreated for a few moments, but then tried to break the cordon again.
The leader of the Democratic Party, Sali Berisha, left the blue headquarters towards the "Martyrs of the Nation" boulevard, where the opposition had called for a protest that began at 19:00 p.m. Berisha then appeared near the Ministry of Interior equipped with a gas mask, accompanied by bodyguards, senior exponents of the Democratic Party and his supporters.
The protesters have called for the march to continue, accusing the police of obstructing their movement towards the institutions. After several attempts to penetrate the other side of the cordon, they failed to break through the police line. The security forces used water cannons to disperse the crowd, temporarily removing the protesters, who then returned and clashed with the police again.
The rally was announced as a march without speeches and lasting until 22:00 p.m. To ensure order and security, around 1500 police officers were deployed on the ground, while security measures were extensive throughout the area surrounding the Prime Minister's Office and key institutions.
Tirana Police had previously announced the blocking of several main road axes. Since midnight on Thursday, traffic and parking have been prohibited on the segment of the “Dëshmorët e Kombit” boulevard from “Ura e Dajtit” to “Ismail Qemali” street. Meanwhile, from 15:00 p.m. on Friday, traffic was also blocked in the section from the Ministry of Interior to “Mother Teresa” Square, as well as on “Ukraine e Lirë”, “Papa John Paul II” and “Ismail Qemali” streets.
The Director General of the State Police, Skënder Hita, was also on the ground, closely monitoring the implementation of the plan of measures and the situation during the protest. /EuronewsAlbania/
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