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Berisha after the protest: PD will call more national protests and join the students on Sunday
The Democratic Party leader accused police of using weapons in breach of the rules during nine hours of clashes and asked prosecutors to seize the security forces' deployment plan.
By ANN Newsroom · Newsroom
October 24, 2026, 22:56 · Updated 18:40 · 2 min read
In brief
- Berisha said PD will call further national protests in support of the students.
- He urged Democrats in Tirana and across the country to join the students on Sunday.
- The opposition leader asked prosecutors to investigate the injuries and seize the police deployment plan.
Democratic Party (PD) leader Sali Berisha said Saturday evening that the opposition will call further national protests, both in support of the students and for its own political cause. According to him, PD's cause “cannot be different from that of the students.” He spoke at a news conference after the day's protest in Tirana, which he described as a national PD protest in support of the students.
Berisha called on Democrats in the capital and across the country to join the students on Sunday, at the time of their protest. He said the young people's courage is an inspiration and a “major obligation” for citizens, and that parents and grandparents should stand behind them. In his view, the students are fighting for their future in Albania and against emigration, noting that “750,000 others” have left the country.
Accusations against the police
At the same news conference, Berisha accused the State Police of violence against protesters, who he said faced officers for nine hours. He alleged that weapons were used in breach of the rules and that several protesters were seriously injured. Among them he named Erjon Vishkulli, who he said lost an eye, a female protester hit in the eye, a protester hit above the eyebrow and another hit in the abdomen, who he said will undergo surgery.
Berisha also named 40-year-old Lorenco Bezani, who he said was kicked in the head and body, and alleged that dozens of others were forcibly taken to police stations. He said reporter Klevin Muka was hit with a flammable substance and that an American reporter was taken to a police station. Police had not responded to these claims by the time the statement was published.
The PD leader asked prosecutors to investigate the injury cases, identify the officers involved and seize the security forces' deployment plan. He thanked the students, education unions, the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions, miners and intellectuals who joined the protest, as well as members of the U.S. Congress, the European Parliament, the Council of Europe and the Bundestag for their support.
