Parties
Berisha to branch leaders: PD will compensate convicted protesters 100%, party headquarters is their home
The Democratic leader promised free legal aid, a medical station and protection for minors, while accusing the government of using inspectors in police uniforms.
By ANN Newsroom · Newsroom
October 20, 2026, 20:42 · Updated 12:25 · 2 min read
In brief
- Sali Berisha gathered PD branch leaders and coordinators in Tirana to discuss the situation created by the protests.
- He promised that every convicted protester will be fully compensated by PD once it comes to power.
- Berisha claimed, without published evidence, that state inspectors have worn police uniforms to punish protesters.
Democratic Party (PD) leader Sali Berisha on Tuesday gathered the party's branch leaders, delegates and coordinators in Tirana to discuss the situation created by the student protests. In his speech, he declared that PD will take on full compensation for every protester who is convicted by the courts today.
“For any kind of sentence they receive today, they will be compensated 100% by the Democratic Party tomorrow,” Berisha said, adding that the protesters will be decorated for their resistance. According to him, “the home of the Democratic Party is the home of the protesters,” open to them under any circumstances.
Legal aid and a medical station
Berisha announced that the party will offer protesters free legal representation and that it has launched a website where mistreatment and rights violations can be reported. He also said a space will be set up where doctors and nurses will treat minor injuries, while serious cases will be sent to health facilities. PD, he said, will also provide legal protection to minors involved in the protests.
The opposition leader also praised the lecturers who joined the students in Tuesday's protest, calling it a response to what he described as a government strategy to crush the protest. He sharply criticized the 2,500-euro bonus for police officers, calling on officers not to accept it.
Allegations of inspectors in uniform
Berisha accused the government of having some inspectors from state and local inspectorates wear police uniforms to take part in actions against protesters, claiming that more than 2,000 people were involved. He asked the party's branches to record anyone who has acted this way. These claims have not been backed by published evidence, and there has been no response from the institutions accused.
Berisha also claimed there had been a plan to attack and burn PD's headquarters, which, according to him, the protesters rejected. He said anyone who broke the law during the protests will face legal consequences.
