'More police than protesters': Peaceful activists violently escorted

Activists and citizens who joined the protest called in front of Parliament on Monday were confronted by police cordons, positioned up to hundreds of meters from the building where MPs were gathered for a plenary session.

At around 08:30, protesters gathered with the chants of “you do not represent us”, “crime deputies”, but hundreds of police officers, including those from the Rapid Intervention Unit, had created several lines on each of the roads leading to the Parliament building, blocking access to it. Also, dozens of motorcades, vehicles used to disperse protesters with water and other State Police vehicles were located within the fenced territory.

The road blockage caused obstacles for hundreds of citizens who needed to get to work or their destinations, to whom police officers suggested taking routes several times longer.

The long and drawn-out lines of police officers showed that their number was several times greater than that of the protesters. The latter were divided into two groups, with some standing near the Namazgja Mosque and others near the Ministry of Interior. When the protesters marched from the Ministry of Interior to join the others on Elbasani Street, they were accompanied all the way along the “Dëshmorët e Kombit” boulevard and the “Jeanne d'Arc” boulevard by numerous police officers.

When they arrived near Elbasani Street around 10:00, the police checkpoint was moved to the other side of the bridge, expanding the radius of the siege, while some protesters who were there before remained within this territory.

The protesters approached, while the police escorted some protesters, including activist Arben Kola, who was lifted into the air by four police officers, who had grabbed him by the hands and feet. The escorts were carried out forcibly, with some being forcibly laid on the ground or dragged to be handcuffed, to then be escorted to police station no. 1.

When a rock was thrown at police officers, they responded with pepper spray, injuring several protesters and photojournalist Malton Dibra, who was carrying out his duties. A young man was taken to the hospital by ambulance due to injuries caused by the pepper spray.

The protesters threw eggs at the police officers, but some of the activists called for calm. The protesters returned to the Ministry of Interior, while some continued their protest near the Toptani shopping center. At around 11:30, they gathered at Skanderbeg Square, and from there they marched towards Police Station No. 1, demanding the release of the five detainees.

After being released from the police station, activist Kola said he had done nothing, except shout slogans as usual at every protest. Meanwhile, four activists of the Together Movement and three young people were escorted by police at around 3:30 p.m. on Monday, while they were standing on the sidewalk, on Dëshmorët e Kombit Boulevard. Through a post on the movement's Facebook account, it is reported that the four escorted "were not doing anything, except standing on the sidewalk."

One of the activists at the protest, Edison Lika, told BIRN that due to the previous police violence and numerous arrests, they had taken fewer eggs during Monday’s protest, in order to avoid any clashes with State Police officers. “However, … they had come today with a clear order, again to use violence. There were several arrests even without any clashes with the police. One of the boys was arrested for smoking, the other was arrested for crossing the street. It’s paradoxical…. Some others were also injured with pepper spray,” Lika said, calling the violence unjustified.

Activist Sidorela Vatnikaj also told BIRN that they had called for a peaceful rally, but were met on the ground by an extraordinary number of police officers, absolutely not in proportion to the number of protesters, nor to their dangerousness.

"…It is happening several times that protesters are being escorted in a violent, shameful manner, without any protocol, without the protesters committing any violent or illegal acts, but only because they are exercising their peaceful right to protest," said Vatnikaj.

The large police force, the violence against the protesters, and their escort left the same impression on activist Fatma Paja.

“…There were more police than protesters, despite the fact that the protesters were with children, not at all violent. They arrested them in a very brutal, very violent manner. … We must also raise our voices against this violence directed at citizens and peaceful protesters,” said Paja./BIRN