The student protest entered its 13th day today. The number of participants was higher compared to the weekend. At 9:00, the students marched from the respective faculties to the Prime Minister's Office, repeating once again that there will be no negotiations with the government unless the eight conditions established at the beginning of the protest are met.
The students from Tirana were joined by those from Kamza and Durrës and a group of about 200 students who came from Korça. Unlike other days, there was a large presence of police forces in front of the Prime Minister's Office.
For today's protest, there were reactions from both the government and the opposition. Prime Minister Rama once again invited the students for dialogue through social networks, publishing an "insta story" with the description: "Will we see each other before the holidays or not?" While on Twitter, he wrote that the protest was taken hostage by the opposition.
The forums of Doctors Mona and Lul Artisti who act as students outside of politics and pdLSI militants who act as family members of students, today formalized the hostage taking of the protest🤮https://t.co/BlJtUtuMi1
- Edi Rama (@ediramaal) December 17, 2018
While the leader of the opposition, Basha, said that the students have his support.
"The Democratic Party and I support it in all forms and ways and of course we are there with flesh, soul and mind. Our people, our children, we support them in all forms and ways, Basha said to journalists after the meeting of the parliamentary group of the Democratic Party.
Meanwhile, around 14:00, there were clashes between the students and the police, which came after the students wanted to surround the Prime Minister symbolically to show that it belongs to all Albanians.
Just a few minutes ago, the students have started to block some road axes in Tirana, such as: Zogut te Zi intersection and Unaza, while some of them are staying at the Prime Minister's Office.
Rama reacted on "twitter" by addressing a question to the protesting students: "Can I ask you that the Doctor and the Artist teach you to block the city streets and the doors of the faculties, while you block the way of Dialogue, throwing insults and accusations down the throats of those who want Dialogue: But what debt Do you have other citizens and students?"
May I ask you, who are taught by Doctor and Artist to block city streets and faculty doors, while you block the road to Dialogue, throwing insults and accusations down the throats of those who want Dialogue: What do they owe you? you citizens and other students?
- Edi Rama (@ediramaal) December 17, 2018
*Citizens Channel / fs
