Pro-Palestine rally stopped by police in Tirana

Hundreds of protestors rallying against Israel’s war in Gaza and in support of Palestine were prevented from continuing in Tirana on Sunday after a police barricade stopped them in their tracks.

The protest, one of several held since 7 October, was organised by civil society and members of the public in the centre of Tirana.

Protestors called for an end to the violence in Gaza, on behalf of Albanians but also the rest of the world.

“In this gathering, there will be a call for the cessation of the war, the cessation of massacres, genocide and ethnic cleansing that are being done to Palestinian people in Gaza. The rally will be in accordance with the law and the necessary notification has been sent to the competent bodies,” organisers said.

At the start of the protest, a documentary was shown on a screen that reflected the current situation in Gaza. Protestors carried banners condemning crimes against civilians and in particular children.

“Stop violence against children, what is happening there is genocide, extermination, we cannot stay without reacting,” a protestor told the media.

A joint press release from UNRWA, WHO, UNICEF, and UNFPA published on 3 November drew attention to the fact that women, children and newborns in Gaza are “disproportionately bearing the burden of the escalation of hostilities in the occupied Palestinian territory.”

They stated that as of the time of publication, 2326 women and 3760 children have been killed in the Gaza strip, equivalent to 67% of all casualties. Thousands more have been injured, they added.

“This means that 420 children are killed or injured every day, some of them only a few months old,” the press release said.

The agencies called on “all parties” to abide by their obligations under international humanitarian law to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure.

Starting at Skanderbeg Square, the protestors tried to march down the main boulevard to Mother Theresa Square, past the prime ministry, presidency, and other government buildings.

This is the first time police intervened in a pro-Palestine protest, just days after Albania’s abstention from a United Nations General Assembly vote on calling for a ceasefire, caused controversy.

There were scuffles and clashes between police and protestors before the latter finally dispersed. It is not known on what grounds the police prevented the continuation of the march.

Albania has been home to several Jewish communities over the centuries, including in Berat, Vlora and Saranda. During World War II, Albanians protected thousands of Jewish people from the advancing fascist forces, sheltering them in their own homes and even giving them Jewish names. In Berat, Jews were allowed to make use of a mosque to pray.

Albania is also a country with a large Muslim population and as the violence in Gaza has escalated, Muslims, Christians and non-religious communities have been calling for a ceasefire.

Prime Minister Edi Rama has been vocal in condemning Hamas and supporting Israel and has met with the Israeli ambassador to Tirana. When asked by Euractiv in an interview in mid-October, if he intended to meet with the Palestinian ambassador, he said he would but she has not expressed any desire to do so.

When the Palestinian ambassador was invited to discuss Rama’s invitation, she invitation was declined.

(Alice Taylor | Euractiv.com)

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