SAEDNEWS: Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama announced plans on Sunday to introduce new legal measures targeting protests, as university students continued demonstrations in Tirana, demanding better education conditions.
According to Saednews, The protests, which began on October 13, entered their 13th day, attracting support from high school students, citizens, university faculty members and various trade unions. Some demonstrations turned violent, Anadolu Agency reported.
Demonstrators marched through streets and squares across the capital, initially gathering outside the Ministry of Education, where they threw stones at the building. They later moved to the prime minister’s office, where tensions escalated between protesters and security forces.
Protesters threw stones at police officers and public institutions, while security forces responded with tear gas. Some demonstrators were injured in clashes, during which Molotov cocktails were occasionally used.
Prime Minister Rama renewed his calls for dialogue, as he had in previous days, but protesters rejected the appeals. Students said they would continue their demonstrations.
Rama said the current law regulating demonstrations dates back to 2001 and does not address digital technologies, which have become an integral part of modern protests.
The proposed legislative package includes compensation for businesses affected by demonstrations, fines for participants in violent protests, measures targeting social media calls for violence, and amendments to the Criminal Code.
The proposed regulations would introduce fines for organizing unauthorized demonstrations, refusing to comply with orders to disperse, wearing masks during protests and obstructing traffic.
The package also seeks to require the removal of social media posts inciting violence and initiate legal proceedings against those responsible.
