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Berisha calls a national protest for Saturday at noon: Everyone with the students, everyone in Tirana
The PD leader urged members, supporters and citizens from across Albania to come to Tirana in support of the student revolt.
By ANN Newsroom · Newsroom
October 30, 2026, 14:16 · Updated 19:02 · 1 min read
In brief
- Berisha called the Oct. 31 protest “a day of testing for the conscience of every citizen.”
- He claimed violent methods had been used against protesters and said the revolt is against corruption and “stolen elections.”
- The Democratic leader said PD will not boycott the local elections, even though he calls them a “farce.”
Democratic Party (PD) leader Sali Berisha on Friday called a national protest for Saturday, Oct. 31, at 12:00, in support of the student protests that have been taking place in Tirana for days. In a statement from party headquarters, he asked members, supporters and citizens from across the country to join the students.
“A day of testing”
Berisha praised the resilience of the students, high school pupils and citizens taking part in the protests. “The students, in their days-long revolt, have shown a courage never before seen among citizens in the streets and squares of Tirana,” he said. According to him, “tomorrow is a day of testing for the conscience of every Albanian citizen,” and the motto should be “everyone with the students, everyone in Tirana.”
The PD leader claimed violent methods had been used against participants during the protests and described the movement as a revolt against corruption, “stolen elections” and the political protection of people involved in scandals. He denied that the protest is driven by other motives.
Local elections
Asked about the local elections, on which President Bajram Begaj was holding consultations, Berisha said PD is not boycotting them. He repeated that his party considers Albania an “authoritarian dictatorship” and the elections a “farce,” but added that the Democrats are determined to use “every opportunity, every potential” within the system to confront the government. In the morning, Socialist group leader Taulant Balla had said after meeting the president that “boycotting the elections is not a solution.”
