Handful of opposition supporters protest, burn tires in front of Municipality of Tirana

The opposition held its 14th protest in front of the Municipality of Tirana, demanding the resignation of the Mayor. A small group of supporters from the Democratic Party and the Party of Freedom gave speeches, burned tires, and attempted to provoke tensions with the police.

Context

The opposition has been demanding the Mayor of Tirana’s resignation following the arrest of several senior directors of the Municipality and investigations by the Special Anti-Corruption Structure (SPAK) into the Municipality’s involvement in the alleged waste incineration scheme.

However, the protests have failed to gain traction. The number of protesters has dwindled to a few dozen, and as numbers have decreased, the opposition has resorted to burning tires, throwing Molotov cocktails, and attempting to provoke clashes with the police.

What has significantly weakened the appeal of the protests for ordinary citizens is the double standard exhibited by the organizers. While supporting SPAK’s investigation into the Municipality and calling for the Mayor’s arrest, both opposition parties are simultaneously protesting against SPAK’s investigation of their own leaders and criticizing SPAK harshly.

During today’s protest, there was a frightening moment when the Democratic Party’s Organizational Secretary’s shirt caught fire as he tried to fan the flames of the burning tires. Fortunately, the police were on hand to assist him.