The police report in the early hours of this morning about the collapse of the National and Experimental Theater building brought the gathering of hundreds of citizens and activists at the entrance of the pedestrian area. The number of police forces was increased, creating a cordon to prevent citizens from approaching the Theater building, which was collapsing.
In successive moments, the citizens tried to break the police cordon by repeating in chorus the phrase "Down with the dictatorship!"
"Today is the first time, during 8 years of protest, that tears come from my eyes for the Theater and for my friends who are here. The people have been taken and will not leave it like that. Back off! The police have time to reflect as they are our brothers and sisters. In case they ask for a crash, we are warning them. From tomorrow onwards we do not owe you anything. We owe you neither the Constitution nor the Canon nor the Family Code",- said Arben Kola, one of the participating protesters.
The police violence used against the activists in defense of the Theater and the protesters was condemned drawing parallels with the time of the dictatorship.
Arben Kola, protester
The lecturer of the University of Tirana, Përparim Dervishi, said in the square that installing dictatorships is easier than installing democracy.
"Even in the time of Ramiz Ali, we did not have such a police force and such an armed force against the protesters. Neither during the communist regime, nor during the dictatorship. This is a big battle. To go from dictatorship to democracy is very difficult, to go from democracy to dictatorship is very easy. So secretly, without realizing it, we have passed from democracy to dictatorship, we must know this".
Pararim Dervishi, lecturer
Citizens have repeatedly told the police to leave the square.
"Leave, let's pay respects to the victim. You killed the theater, please, let the people mourn the theater", -said one of the protesters.
Protesters in the square
For the activist Aurora Birbilaj, the collapse of the Theater today is the establishment of a dictatorship in the country.
"There are people who have sacrificed themselves, who have been sacrificing their lives for two years for this cause which is the cause of all of us. This morning I woke up with many messages informing me that a dictatorship was installed in this country; who informed me that the power that we have given them with our taxes and money is winning; who informed me that citizens' feelings and opinion do not matter at all. May 17 is a black day in the history of Albania, and this is only the beginning".- said Aurora Birbilaj through tears.
Aurora Birbilaj, activist
Police violence against activists in defense of the National Theatre
At half past four in the morning on Sunday, dozens of police and special forces entered the National Theater building, forcibly evicting the activists who have been defending the Theater for nearly three years.
Dozens of the activists were escorted to the police station, to be released after a few hours.
Activists and citizens who were present testify about violence used against them. Megi Mustafaraj, activist of the Vetëvendosje Movement in Albania, recounts her experiences in the early hours of the morning.
"I was one of those escorted to the police station and I was released not long ago. The police intervened today, when we were all asleep, resting, guarding the Theater. They entered in a barbaric manner, having canisters with them, throwing spray on our bodies and faces, hitting us all over and arresting us by 20 policemen per person. But I say, the police used terrible violence. There are still activists and citizens and artists being held at the police station. Violence was even used against them. They should definitely be released."- said Megi Mustafaraj.
Megi Mustafaraj, Activist
Activist Boiken Abazi has read in the square a joint statement of several organizations, which consider today's act unconstitutional and condemn police violence.
"After an ordeal of legal and constitutional violations, hundreds of police forces entered the premises of the National Theater violently, to evict the citizens who have stayed for 27 months in defense of this construction complex, part of the Albanian and European cultural heritage. With automatic firearms, pepper spray and tear gas, the police intervened, beating and arresting many of the protesters. We unanimously demand the release of all arrested citizens", - said Abazi.
Boiken Abazi, activist
The police were further called to vacate the Theater Square.
"In this Theater, this people has marked its political and cultural history. Heritage belongs to the people who live with it. It belongs to all of us, that's why I once again ask the police to leave, to free the Theater Square".
Police saw identification numbers
In the police lines established today, citizens noticed the absence of identification numbers on their uniforms. According to citizens, this gives them the opportunity to act against any legal measure without being further identified for their actions and without bearing any responsibility.
Reactions of artists and activists after the collapse of the Theater building
At noon, the activists of the Alliance for the Protection of the Theater, with the presence of banners, lectured in front of the protesters, calling on all Albanian citizens to join the cause, which according to them has not yet ended.
"I call on citizens wherever they are to leave their homes. Being locked up at home is the ultimate closure of freedom. The closure they are doing to you is intentional. Break your barriers in your mind. Today is a new day and we must seek freedom"- said the activist Doriana Musai.
Doriana Musai, Activist of the Alliance for the Protection of the Theatre
Activist and lecturer Ervin Goci declared in front of the protesters that this is a war that has just begun.
"The war has just begun. There is no reason for us to be depressed. We have fought an exemplary war, we have brought out all the legal violations. We have taken it to the constitutional level. We have reflected on all the norms and we have never done vandalism and acts, which do not suit people who have protested with a certain culture and came today dragging in that kind of form. The building was hit when there were people inside. There was a war. I have seen operations carried out in secret areas".
Surrounded by citizens and activists who repeated "Down with the dictatorship!", director Edmond Budina said with a megaphone that this is not the end of the Alliance.
"They committed a criminal act today. We have said it, we say it and we will repeat it. The Theater Defense Alliance is not dead, we are here. Criminals, mobsters, tried to kill our comrades who were inside, the fight started when people were inside and this is a crime against humanity and we will not forgive this", said director Edmond Budina.
Edmond Budina, director
Erion veliaj: "The new theater, a difficult but right decision"
After the developments that took place today on Dêshmorët e Kombit boulevard, where hundreds of citizens protested against the demolition of the Theater building, while the parades continued its square, the mayor of Tirana, Erion Veliaj, reacted. Through a video, he considered the decision to demolish the difficult but fair Theater as one of the best decisions made in the last five years.
"That building was designed over the years, both for the popular courts of that time, but then also for other functions. A fully depreciated building. We cannot have the theater even without a tower, even on its own land and without making any other private investment, even then with our own money, but also to preserve the old one. In a center of Tirana, where all the important institutions are and not in a suburb like the river bank or the villages of Tirana where we can have free land", - said Veliaj in the special public appearance for the image of the Theater.
Edi Rama: "Two words to the good man Edmond Budina"
Today, through a Twitter status, Prime Minister Rama reacted to the accusations made by director Edmond Budina.
"Two words to the good man Edmond Budina: You have your right to continue to think differently from Robert Ndrenika, Luftar Paja, Gëzim Kame, Viktor Zhusti, Ruzhdi Pulaha, Pirro Milkani, Albert Minga, Altin Basha and many others, who are the old and new history of the national stage...But you do not have to swear, insult and slander like them, nor do you have the right to impose yourself on the will of the government, the municipality or the majority of the theater community, because swearing and insults "they are art, defamation is not cultural heritage and democracy is not an absurd theater...", the Prime Minister's post says
Two words to the good man Edmond Budina: You have your right to continue to think differently from Robert Ndrenika, Luftar Paja, Gëzim Kame, Viktor Zhusti, Ruzhdi Pulaha, Pirro Milkani, Albert Minga, Altin Basha and many others, who are history old and new of the national scene...
- Edi Rama (@ediramaal) May 17, 2020
Erisa Kryeziu has completed higher studies in Journalism and Communication and Master of Science in Public Relations at the University of Tirana. She has been a journalist and project manager at Citizens.al for five years, where she reports on social issues and human rights, especially on issues of rights at work, in education, gender equality, marginalized groups, people with disabilities such as and for environmental issues. At the same time, she works as a project coordinator with a focus on youth and media education. User of new reporting techniques such as "Mobile Journalism" and citizen engagement tools in reporting (ECR-Engage Citizens Journalism).
