Albania: demonstration in Tirana after the destruction of the National Theater

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Several thousand Albanians demonstrated on Monday May 18 against a dictatorial drift by the Socialist Prime Minister Edi Rama, after the destruction of the National Theater.

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With our correspondent in Tirana, Louis Seiller

"  Crime scene  ". Along the main boulevard of Tirana, demonstrators are deploying a long banner. Behind them are the ruins of the National Theater, where posters and stage costumes can be seen. The destruction of the theater by the authorities at 4.30 am on Sunday shocked many Albanians. “  I really liked this building. It was one of the places to escape. We grew up with this theater. This place had to continue to live, for us, for future generations, for history, for everything  ”, protests, in tears, Viktori, an architect of 56 years.

For almost two and a half years, the future of this theater, built in 1939, had become one of the symbols of opposition to the policy of the government of the socialist, Edi Rama. His plan for a new theater was rejected by most actors, but also by civil society and the opposition parties. The actor and director Robert Budina accuses the authorities of being corrupt and of not respecting the laws of the country: “  They have another project there. They did not want to build a new theater but towers. Business. That is the aim of the government.  "

While the drastic measures to fight against the Covid-19 pandemic are still not lifted, the demonstrators do not hesitate to speak of dictatorial drift. Seeking to minimize the extent of the destruction, the authorities called for calm and reconciliation. The construction of the new theater has been valued at 30 million euros.

Listen to the report: the destruction of the national theater anger the Albanians

Louis Seiller

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