Albanian opposition lawmakers disrupt parliament with smoke flares and furious attacks on socialist PM
Opposition lawmakers in Albania disrupted a parliamentary session on Thursday by setting off flares that filled the chamber with colored smoke, escalating weeks of student-led anti-government protests.
Members of the main opposition Democratic Party also blocked access to the podium during a vote on a central bank bill, Reuters reported. The protests began on Oct. 13 and quickly turned violent as demonstrators clashed with police and set fire to government buildings.
Violent Protests
Albania has been gripped in recent weeks by student-led demonstrations demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama over alleged government corruption, underfunded schools, widespread unemployment, and a lack of economic opportunities. Protesters also targeted Rama's ruling Socialist Party headquarters in Tirana, clashing with riot police deployed to protect the property.
These ruling lawmakers are criminals, and they deserve tear gas, rubber bullets, cracked skulls, and broken bones—not the young people.
Government Response
As the chamber devolved into chaos, fellow opposition members surrounded Berisha, holding blue flares, the official color of their party, and displaying images of protesters injured by police rubber bullets. Rama, who has governed since 2013 and secured a fourth term last year, blamed 'foreign hands who do not want Albania in the European Union.'
He accused outside forces of manipulating the movement, claiming they 'represent organized crime rather than students.' To curb the violence, Rama introduced strict new measures, including $6,000 fines for anyone participating in a protest that turns violent, regardless of whether they personally commit acts of violence. Another demonstration is scheduled for Saturday.
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