Page 40 - BNE_magazine_06_2019

40 I Southeast Europe bne June 2019
Smoke rises over a sea of umbrellas at the latest opposition protest in Tirana.
Firebombs and fury on the streets of Tirana
bne IntelliNews
Thousands of Albanian opposition supporters staged another protest on May 13 against the Socialist govern- ment of Prime Minister Edi Rama demand- ing a snap election and for an interim government to be formed until then.
For the second time in three days the protest erupted into violence. After
a peaceful start some of the protesters started throwing smoke bombs and Molotov cocktails at the police.
Over the past three months the opposition has held repeated protests, aimed at forcing out Rama and his government, whom the opposition accuse of crime and corruption.
The leader of the main opposition party, the Democratic Party, Lulzim Basha, said that the protests will continue until the resignation of the current government.
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The bad weather and the rain did not stop opposition supporters from holding a march, which started at the central Skenderbeg Square, and was supposed to end at the police directorate. But outside the parliament clashes broke out with police, as some protestors
by the interior ministry that the party had distributed Molotov cocktails to protesters “an abomination”.
Protests have been ongoing for several months, and opposition MPs also launched a boycott of the parliament.
“After a peaceful start some of the protesters started throwing smoke bombs and Molotov cocktails at the police.”
threw Molotov cocktails and flares at the central government building.
The Democratic Party issued a statement after the rally, denying that it had incited violence or sought to destabilise the country. It accused the government of winning the latest general election “by organised crime” and called reports
They have been stepped up in the last few days with thousands-strong protests on both May 11 and May 13.
Rama spoke to journalists on May 12 of the need for calm and restraint in the face of the protests.
Rama’s government has so far resisted