TIRANA, October 22 /ATSH/ – According to data published by Prime Minister Edi Rama, Albania stands out among European nations for having a higher number of law enforcement injuries than civilian injuries during recent demonstrations. While other European countries reported significantly higher protester casualty numbers, the local breakdown shows an inverted ratio.
- Albania: 191 police officers vs. 93 protesters
- France: 1,797 police officers vs. 2,448 protesters
- Spain: 33 police officers vs. 893 protesters
- Romania: 33 police officers vs. 419 protesters
- Germany: 34 police officers vs. 130 protesters
The head of government emphasized that the State Police performed their duties effectively and, despite the violence directed against them, remained committed to their democratic mission.
Prime Minister Edi Rama defended the State Police’s response to the Tirana protests, arguing that media reports have falsely painted police defense as aggression and dismissed claims of unprovoked violence.
“The media obsessed over a crowd of barely 1,500 people, framing them as heroes from morning news to evening celebrity shows. Their live coverage treated an artificial “student revolution” with unearned gravity. In reality, this group was entirely detached from the actual hardships and hopes of Albanian students. This crowd shared nothing with the genuine struggles, needs, or aspirations of actual Albanian students and their families. Simultaneously, the State Police were subjected to relentless, shameful attacks,” he wrote.
Rama stated that some of the masked protesters will be identified—both by their faces and by evidence—adding that they have no connection to universities or student life.
“I write the word “students’ in quotation marks because, very soon, you will see—revealed by their faces and by evidence—many of these ‘masked heroes’ who terrorized the Albanian people by invoking the specter of 1997, have absolutely no connection to the university or to student life,” he said.
According to him, “The real students are those who wish to challenge the political establishment and the government—not by raising a hand against public or private property, but by pointing out the wounds that require healing through dialogue and shared commitment.” /m.q/p.s./
