Two police officers and six demonstrators were injured in clashes near a government building in the Albanian capital during protests against the policies of the ruling Socialist party (SP) led by Prime Minister Edi Rama, local media reported
BELGRADE (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 16th February, 2019) Two police officers and six demonstrators were injured in clashes near a government building in the Albanian capital during protests against the policies of the ruling Socialist party (SP) led by Prime Minister Edi Rama, local media reported.According to Albanian Daily news, in an attempt to break into the government building in Tirana, the protesters started throwing stones and Molotov cocktails at the police. The latter used tear gas and water cannons in response and managed to push the crowd away from the building's entrance.
The protesters, however, smashed several windows in the office and broke a sculpture, presented to Rama by famous Swedish artist Carsten Hoeller.
Amid the rallies, Albanian President Ilir Meta and Interior Minister Sander Lleshaj urged protesters and police to show restraint. The opposition, meanwhile, accused the police of provoking the demonstrators.
Earlier, the leader of the largest opposition Democratic Party, Lulzim Basha, once again accused the prime minister of corruption and economic woes and urged all citizens to participate in the Saturday protests. Over 2,000 police officers have been deployed to maintain order in Tirana.
On Friday, the Interior Ministry warned that it expected activists with a criminal background to be among the protesters, while the opposition party claimed that "the only person linked to crime is Prime Minister Rama" and demanded his resignation.
