Prime Minister Edi Rama has commented on last week’s protests. He said the right to protest was undeniable, but violence was an unjustifiable crime.

In a message on social media, Rama said he wanted to explain one aspect of what he described as days of psychological terror against the capital and Albania’s people. He added that the events were being gradually analyzed and dismantled.

The prime minister said the protests combined the legitimate right to demonstrate with violence. He accused evening media broadcasts of downplaying and even glorifying that violence.

Rama said Albanians at home and abroad had watched the protests with anxiety. He argued that media coverage had created a false impression that innocent, idealistic students had taken to the streets to liberate Albania and then faced police violence. He described this portrayal as a dramatic distortion of a very different reality.

The prime minister also compared figures for injured police officers and injured protesters or passers-by in Albania and other European countries. He said more than 2 police officers had been injured for every injured protester or passer-by in Tirana, while other countries showed a completely different ratio.

Rama maintained that the police had suffered the most injuries and violence during the recent demonstrations in Tirana. He said he would address what he called corrupt media outlets at a later time.

/a.p./