Guerrillas in Tirana: three dead siege to the government palace

TIRANA - Tirana Day of urban warfare with the demonstrators to attack the palace and the government agents that load with water cannons and tear gas. According to several witnesses, they heard gunfire in the clashes and hospital officials said three civilians were killed. At least 20 protesters and 17 policemen were injured.

The situation on the main boulevard of Tirana, home to the palaces of power albans, today the scene of violence, has returned to calm after several hours. The police took control of the square opposite the palace of government and the demonstrators have departed. The bloody day began with a demonstration called by the opposition Socialists to demand the resignation of the center-right government led by Prime Minister Sali Berisha and new elections.

All afternoon there have been fights very hard. The Albanian media have reported that shots not only by agents, but also of the protesters, in addition to stone-throwing, tear gas and jets of water, burned cars, armored vehicles in the streets, offices. The head of the Albanian state in Topi as night appealed for calm.

"All political forces must pacify the protesters and ensure the restoration of public order, giving support to the police," said Topi, urging political parties "to engage in dialogue and to take responsibility for the stability of the country." After hours of silence, he came back to bite even the Socialist opposition leader Edi Rama, who has accused the government has implemented "provocations against the peaceful protest of the citizens." Rama insisted Berisha start "a political solution to the situation." In response, a member of the Democratic Party premier, Mesylate Doda, called the revolt of Tirana today in a coup attempt and has pointed the finger at Rama.

The moment of maximum tension was when the crowd has passed the police cordon around the palace of the government, has passed through the gates and was poured into the garden of institutional residence, setting fire to other trees, while the police is barricaded in the building in defense of Berisha and his cabinet.

Police used tear gas and water cannons to stop the advance of the demonstrators. The socialist leader Rama, among other things, the mayor of the capital, which had expressed its "rejection of all acts of violence, our goal is not to take power by force and without elections", was filmed by television as he watched building the guerrillas.

The presence of weapons among the militants of the opposition to suggest that we were prepared to clash with the police. The stated aim of the Socialist Party was pressing for the resignation of the Berisha government and fresh elections after the corruption scandal that has engulfed the vice premier Ilir Meta, resigned last week.

Meta is the great accuser of his predecessor in the ministry, Dritan Prifti, among other things a former member of the same party, the Socialist Movement for Integration, which gave the Democrats of Berisha vows to maintain a parliamentary majority. The scandal erupted with the transmission, on Tuesday, a video dating back to last March when discussing Meta Prifti and tenders, persons to be accommodated and concessions.

A video that maybe was cut and artfully assembled, that the second half and a part of organized crime "and make ricattorio. The case has highlighted the tension that already dominated the Albanian political framework. The Socialist Party of Rama has never accepted the victory of the laws of Berisha in June 2009 and since then has effectively boycotting parliament.

The tone of the crisis were exacerbated after the last events, up to the event today. U.S. embassy in Tirana came the call to stay calm. "Over the last few days - a statement of the American diplomatic mission - the rhetoric and language of some political leaders have taken the tone that suggest support for harmful acts of disorder and inappropriate behavior.

This language is unacceptable." An appeal for "calm, restraint, to resolve all issues in parliament on the table" is also from the Italian Foreign Ministry, through the foreign ministry spokesperson Maurizio Massari. At the end of 2010 the European Union, which rejected the application for admission of Albania, called the "Land of the Eagles" to his 12-point agenda: first, the fight against corruption and an investigation into allegations that have engulfed the former Deputy Prime Minister Meta.

• Three dead in Hungarian protests calling for early election over government corruption claims (21/01/2011)
• 3 killed in anti-government unrest in Albania (21/01/2011)
• US condemns Albania violence (21/01/2011)
• 3 dead in clashes against Albanian leader (21/01/2011)
• Clashes break out at Albania rally (21/01/2011)

Tirana (geolocation)  Tirana (homepage)  Tirana (wikipedia)