Following the anti-government protests in Albania, there was tension in the parliament. Opposition Democratic Party MPs protested the Parliament session held on Thursday by lighting torches.
While the weeks-long protests of the student movement demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama spread to different cities of the country, especially the capital Tirana, the political tension also moved to the parliament.
While a bill regarding the Central Bank was being voted on, Democratic Party deputies blocked access to the Parliament rostrum.
During opposition leader Sali Berisha's speech, some MPs gathered around him and showed photos of protesters injured in police intervention.
Some MPs lit blue torches, the symbol of their party.
Turning off Berisha's microphone during his speech in which he made harsh accusations against the government also increased the tension in the Parliament.
Democratic Party leader Sali Berisha criticized the police interventions against the protesters and targeted the ruling MPs. Berisha used the following statements in his speech: "These are criminals. Those who deserve tear gas, rubber bullets, broken heads and bones are not young people, they are."
Opposition MPs reacted to the interventions of security forces by carrying photographs of demonstrators injured in the protests.
Student protests that have been ongoing in Albania since mid-October have turned into large-scale anti-government protests. Demonstrators are protesting allegations of corruption against the government, the unemployment problem and deficiencies in the education system.
Protesters demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama took to the streets in other cities after the demonstrations they held in the center of the capital Tirana. In some demonstrations, government buildings and banks were set on fire, and workplace windows were broken. Harsh clashes took place with the security forces in the incidents where the protesters threw the paving stones they had removed at the police.
The protest movement in Albania began in the summer with demonstrations against the luxury coastal project supported by US President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner. The protests, which were initially largely peaceful, turned into an anti-government movement with the participation of students in October.
Prime Minister Edi Rama, who has been in power since 2013 and was elected to his fourth term last year, has faced political pressure due to growing protests. The government implemented new sanctions against protests after increasing violence in the streets.
Within the scope of the regulations announced by Prime Minister Rama on Sunday, people who participate in demonstrations that turn into violence can be fined up to 500 thousand Albanian Leks. The fine, which corresponds to approximately $6,200, can also be applied to people who do not resort to direct violence but continue to stay in the demonstrations where incidents occur. The regulation in question brought to the agenda discussions regarding restrictions on the right to protest in the country.
Prime Minister Edi Rama called for dialogue with students again in order to end the protests. Rama's government also announced economic measures to reduce social reactions, such as lowering fuel prices and providing more financial support to low-income families. While it was stated that the demonstrations held this week were largely peaceful, it was reported that the protesters were preparing to take to the streets again on Saturday.
