Albanian PM Edi Rama promised fines for participants in violent protests

New law on fines

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama announced on Sunday his intention to toughen the response to anti-government protests. According to him, a law will be published this week introducing fines of more than 550 dollars for 'anyone who decides to remain in a crowd'that commits acts of violence or looting in a public place, as well as for those who 'conceal their identity.' The measures will apply to any gatherings 'when they result in damage to property.' The law will also give the police the power to restrict 'gatherings' in certain cases where there is a risk of violence, and will provide compensation for small businesses affected by the protests, as well as measures against those who 'encourage, organize or coordinate the participation of underage schoolchildren in rallies,' AFP reports.

Protests continue

The prime minister's statement came against the backdrop of months-long anti-government protests, which in recent days have escalated into open clashes between security forces and demonstrators. On Sunday, several hundred people again gathered outside the building of his cabinet in the capital, ignoring the threat of fines. In the evening, skirmishes between demonstrators and the police broke out again. A protester, a pensioner who refused to give her name, told AFP: 'Why should parents pay for the actions of their children, while the prime minister is not held accountable for the actions of his government'. Demonstrators complain about corruption, demand better conditions for students and Rama's resignation; during recent protests they attacked the Ministry of Education and other official buildings. Teachers have backed the high school students who took part in the protests this year.

Opposition reaction and police figures

Opposition leader and Rama's longtime rival Sali Berisha, who heads the Democratic Party, said that people will not accept the government's new measures. 'We will firmly stand against them' and 'answer Rama tooth for tooth,' 'to give him what he deserves,' he said in an online exchange with the public, as the party reported in a press release. The prime minister himself stressed: 'Anyone demanding my resignation is mistaken if they think it can be imposed in any way, but I do not believe that everything they say and demand is wrong.' According to the police, after Saturday's protests 23 people were officially arrested, criminal proceedings are underway against 13 others, and 30 have been placed on a wanted list.

Why it matters

The confrontation primarily affects protest participants — schoolchildren, students and teachers — as well as small businesses, which the law promises compensation. The new rules come into force practically this week: financial liability for those present in 'violent' crowds and the police's right to restrict gatherings when there is a risk of unrest, which directly changes the conditions for holding any mass actions in the country. It is not yet known exactly how the criteria for 'risk of violence' will be defined, or how the opposition will challenge the law.