The civic protest against the government and the political class enters its 102nd day today.
Citizens are expected to return to protest today, while what happened on Tuesday signaled a change in the way they would react. In addition to marches, protesters blocked important intersections and roads in Tirana for several minutes, causing traffic problems.
The 101st day began with a gathering near
Parliament, where the first plenary session of the new parliamentary session was taking place. For more than two hours there were tensions and clashes, while protesters threw eggs and tomatoes at several vehicles of MPs and police officers.
After the police intervened to clear the area near the Parliament, the protest did not end. Citizens began marching through Tirana, changing their destination several times and stopping at intersections, where they temporarily blocked traffic.
The protest then moved to the Tirana Police Directorate and Police Station No. 6, where citizens demanded the release of the people escorted during the day's incidents.
"You are not alone" and "Free the Albanians" were some of the chants of the protesters outside the police station. During the evening, journalist Shpend Gashi was also released, while during the day it was reported that around 20 people were escorted.
Thus, the 102nd day begins after a protest that on Tuesday showed a new dynamic. Scenes of tension near the Parliament were seen
even earlier, but blocking intersections and standing for minutes on the road constituted the new element of the reaction.
It remains to be seen whether this strategy will continue today and whether the 102nd day will confirm the escalation of the protest that was seen the day before.
