Berisha Leads Albanian Lawmakers in Disrupting Parliamentary Session

Albanian opposition leader Sali Berisha and other lawmakers disrupted a parliament session in Tirana on Thursday by setting off flares and smoke bombs in an attempt to block a vote on a law governing the country's central bank. The vote proceeded and passed.

Berisha, who leads the Democratic Party of Albania, called the demonstrators out in support of protesters who want Prime Minister Edi Rama to step down. "These [ruling lawmakers] are criminals and they deserve tear gas, rubber bullets, cracked skulls and broken bones, not the young people," Berisha said. Lawmakers around him held photographs of protesters who were allegedly injured by rubber bullets.

Protests began in May after Rama gave preliminary approval to a luxury resort linked to Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of US President Donald Trump. The movement started among students and has expanded to include complaints about economic stagnation, alleged corruption, poor education standards and high tuition fees. Hundreds of people have been injured, including police officers, and government buildings, banks and private properties have been attacked and set on fire.

Rama has held power for 13 years and won a fourth term last year. He has refused to resign. His government set fines of more than $6,000 for anyone attending a protest that turns violent, even if that person took no part in the violence. The fine equals six times Albania's average monthly salary of about $1,000.

Rama has also announced measures to ease tensions, according to the public broadcaster Radio Televizioni Shqiptar. Monthly scholarship stipends for students from low-income families will increase, scholarships will extend to master's degree students, and subsidised rent will be provided for students.