This morning, Prime Minister Edi Rama placed several chairs outside the Prime Minister’s Office, with a sign reading “Dialogue,” and invited students to sit down for talks.
An hour later, students responded by overturning the chairs, rejecting the Prime Minister’s invitation.
They argue that police violence in recent days and the arrests of protesters have irreversibly damaged any chance of dialogue with the government.
On Tuesday morning, university lecturers also marched in support of the students and condemned police violence against protesters.
Dozens of lecturers and students first gathered near the Polytechnic University of Tirana before peacefully assembling in the square outside the Prime Minister’s Office.
The lecturers joined the student protests after around 1,500 university professors signed a statement in support of the students.
In their statement, they condemn police violence against students and criticize institutions for failing to respond to the protesters’ demands.
Meanwhile, the Trade Union of University Lecturers of Albania announced a nationwide boycott of classes at all universities, starting tomorrow.
The union said lecturers would gather every day at 10:00 a.m. near the Polytechnic University of Tirana and march alongside students towards the Prime Minister’s Office.
“A country like Albania, which aspires to join the European Union, cannot tolerate such brutal violence against students, who are teaching us an extraordinary lesson in freedom,” said a lecturer at the University of Tirana’s Faculty of History and Philology.
Yesterday, Prime Minister Rama announced a €2,500 bonus for State Police officers. The decision comes at a time when police actions against protesters have been criticized for human rights violations.
The academic diaspora has also expressed support for the students and citizens taking part in the movement through a statement of solidarity.
The academics have called on international partners, particularly European Union institutions, the EU Delegation in Albania, and the US Embassy, to closely monitor developments in Albania.
They are calling for democratic rights to be respected and for greater institutional accountability.
For eight days, thousands of university students, school pupils, young people, and other citizens have taken to the streets in protest. Their sole demand now is the resignation of Prime Minister Rama.
The protests have been marked by violence, as police have tried to disperse demonstrators by force, using tear gas, water cannons, and rubber bullets.
For four months, citizens held peaceful protests in the square. However, Prime Minister Rama never took their demands seriously. They called for the reversal of changes to the law on protected natural areas, the repeal of what they described as a crony law on strategic investments, and public accountability from the government.
With the university boycott starting tomorrow, lecturers are joining the Flamingo Revolution, while students continue to reject Prime Minister Rama’s invitation to dialogue.
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