TIRANA, Oct 30 /ATA/ – A total of 347 people were injured during protests in Albania, including around 200 police officers, 107 protesters and some 20 bystanders, Interior Minister Ervin Demo said on Friday, adding that seven officers had been suspended over alleged disproportionate use of force.
Speaking at a joint news conference with State Police chief Skënder Hita, Demo described the level of violence as unprecedented, saying some officers had sustained serious injuries but were now out of life-threatening danger.
Around 20 bystanders were also injured, including journalists covering the demonstrations, he said.
Demo said the figures highlighted both the scale of the violence and the need for police to ensure that their response to protests remained proportionate.
He stressed that the Interior Ministry and State Police were committed to safeguarding citizens’ constitutional right to peaceful protest while ensuring that police interventions were proportionate whenever violence occurred.
Seven police officers had so far been suspended over actions deemed disproportionate, with reviews of their conduct still under way, Demo said.
The Police Oversight Agency was also examining dozens of complaints submitted by citizens and had launched investigations into specific cases in cooperation with the Tirana Prosecutor’s Office, he added.
The minister said violence during the demonstrations had targeted not only state institutions but also private businesses, independent institutions and individuals, including passers-by.
He also raised concerns over threats against police officers and the publication of their identifying information on public communication channels and social media, describing such actions as unacceptable.
Demo said the authorities would pursue all necessary legal measures to ensure that police officers could perform their duties with full legal protection.
He added that the government’s priorities remained public safety, proportionality in police interventions and accountability.
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