FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti
And when the police respond to protests with tear gas, water cannons, or stun grenades, not to mention the use of batons and spacesuits, or civilians tracking down lone 'prey' to fill the number of detainees, the message is clear: to instill fear...
The opposition has held 3 national protests in the space of almost a month, while the next protest has been announced to be held on February 28. What has characterized the first 3 protests is an escalation of the clash between demonstrators and the police, while the latter has used means disproportionately to disperse the crowds.
This was particularly noticeable in the last protest, that of February 20, when the security forces led by Ilir Proda did not hold back long and immediately used crowd-dispersal equipment. The limits were even exceeded when a police siege of the DP headquarters was attempted with the aim of arresting the demonstrators who found refuge in the courtyard of the former SHQUP or the building of the largest opposition party. But not only that, in a completely unprofessional manner, the tear gas of Proda's police also invaded the Namazgja mosque, where hundreds and hundreds of believers were performing the rites of prayer in the holy month of Ramadan.
The mosque was invaded by gas, the believers were caught off guard, while the justification given by the Police was that demonstrators were sheltering in the religious cult from where they were throwing Molotov cocktails at the forces of order. Despite these suspicions, the Proda police fell into a trap, attacking believers who had nothing to do with the protest, Molotov cocktails, fireworks or any other action that could endanger the police with or without uniform, with or without black hoods, who were roaming around to catch the "prey", in this case the protestor.
The police are reacting in almost the same way, increasing the dose of countermeasures, with claims that they cannot allow the lives of law enforcement officers to be endangered by the demonstrators. And here they do not think long, forgetting that in the area where they are throwing gas in large quantities there are hundreds and hundreds of homes, which, while the clash is taking place, become uninhabitable, due to the dense toxins that spread rapidly.
In all three protests held so far, what is a fact is that numerous police cordons, special vehicles, threatening warnings and a visible readiness for confrontation are placed in front of the protesters. Everything is based on a plan of measures that is drawn up in advance and where it seems that those degrees of reaction or proportionality are not respected.
Under the leadership of Ilir Proda, the State Police is accused not simply of harshness, but of a force strategy that treats protest as an enemy, not as a democratic right.
And when the police respond to protests with tear gas, water cannons, or stun grenades, not to mention the use of batons and spacesuits, or civilians tracking down lone 'prey' to fill the number of detainees, the message is clear: instill fear.
A police force that positions itself as if it were in an operation against an internal threat, instead of guaranteeing a peaceful gathering, creates a climate of deliberate conflict. Tension does not arise by chance; it is fueled by the way the protest is managed.
The use of force as a first response and not as a last resort delegitimizes not just the policeman who acts like a robot, but the entire structure that is currently led by Ilir Proda.
In a true democracy, the police should be above the parties. But when their actions seem synchronized with the interests of the government, suspicion arises that public order is being used as an excuse to suppress dissent.
A secure state is not afraid of protest; an insecure state sees it as a threat.
If this confrontational approach continues, the consequences are not just a few clashes in the streets. The consequence is the radicalization of attitudes, which, as warned on February 20, could be applied as early as the February 28 protest.
And this is much more dangerous than any protest. / Pamphlet /
Lini një Përgjigje