Lushnja under a hail of stones. Fire at the Municipality VEFA: “We will lower interest rates; this is how we guarantee the capital” Lushnja occupied by protesters from morning until evening. Special forces surrender Twelve sampistas admitted to hospital, injured by blows from the hail of stones On page 3 VEFA-Kamberi talks. “Only by uniting can we withstand the earthquake of the pyramid schemes” On page 11 A 19-year-old risks losing one eye. His account from his hospital bed On page 3 Photo H. Pustina

Yesterday’s hearing: 20 people remain in prison TIRANA - Dozens of people had surrounded the Tirana court and were waiting for the start of the major anti-pyramid-scheme trial. They were relatives of the defendants, their creditors, curious onlookers, and an unusually large number of blue uniforms. The heavy police presence showed that the first act of the state’s “revenge” for the “large-scale theft by fraud” of Albanian citizens was about to be played out in court. On page 9 Driza after the arrest order (Photo: P. Ilo) Driza after the arrest order (Photo: P. Ilo)

ENFORCEMENT

COURT On page 9

TIRANA - Human rights activists are alarmed by what they call the “escalation of violence in Albania.” Statements condemning it have been issued not only from Tirana but also from New York, where the well-known “Human Rights Watch” operates, and addressed to the public and the Albanian authorities. A statement adopted by the Albanian Helsinki Committee refers to the violence inflicted on Edi Rama and Vladimir Myrtezaj. “This incident,” the statement says, “goes beyond the bounds of a personal incident and takes on the features of a very serious phenomenon that calls for the safety of citizens and a broader approach to the social picture. Seen precisely in this light, this extreme act of intolerance speaks to the disturbing fact that violence is gaining ground, finding space and threateningly intruding in order to strike at freedom of speech...” The situation could degenerate into a confrontation that would “put everything beyond control.” “The statement from the activists in New York is even harsher. It speaks directly of ‘condemning the violence exercised by President Sali Berisha against peaceful protests against the government.’ The ‘Human Rights Watch’ statement also cites the reported abuse of Edi Rama and Myrtezaj, and urges Albania to respect the documents of the European Community and all the other documents under which it has undertaken to respect freedom of speech and expression.”

MEETING AT THE PRESIDENCY YESTERDAY Pelingu reports “Pyramid schemes at the two foundations” Pelingu reports “Pyramid schemes at the two foundations” TIRANA - The first official report on the seven borrowing foundations arrived yesterday at the Parliamentary Committee on the Economy. “They had clear-cut pyramid schemes,” the conclusions of the Transparency Committee’s submissions state. Meanwhile, everything connected with the figures and balance sheets remains shrouded in mystery. On page 11 Berisha

Martini: “It arrived at the Court of Appeal only a week ago” Gjonaj

FIER Drills and crowbars to collect the money On page 10

BERAT People anxiously gather outside the firms On page 3

LUSHNJE - Even Mario Kempes has not escaped people’s anger. As usual, he had set out to attend the morning training session, two kilometers from the entrance to Lushnjë, when a group of people came out and told him it was pointless to enter the city, since the situation was very tense. Surprised and wearing an utterly innocent expression, he managed to explain only one word, which he had learned well in Albanian: “Falëminderit” (“Thank you”). He then returned to Tirana together with his brother Hugo. The most accurate assessment is whether or not he will be on the Lushnjë team’s bench today. Meanwhile, all those who signed contracts with Xhaferri are in a difficult situation. Edu is said to have been in a state of shock throughout the training sessions, while the other “foreigners” have been no better. As is known, the Lushnjë team includes several Albanian footballers who, like Kempes and Edu, have signed contracts with Xhaferri. Thus, the Dashit, Dalipit and Kocës [unclear]—the latter is thought to have set off toward Durrës—are among them. Indeed, some of them have not taken part in the training sessions at all. As is known, they are under contract with Xhaferri and have placed all their hopes in him. At the same time, they have asked the local authorities for help so that they can finish the championship.

Demonstrators smash a venue Protesters smash a venue Kavajë, protesters at “Demokracia” KAVAJË - The many cars heading to Lushnjë were all it took for the news to spread quickly in Kavajë as well. Protests over the “pyramid schemes” have erupted in Lushnjë. Disappointed by the huge sums of money they had lost after investing some time ago in “Xhaferri,” “Populli” and “Gjallica,” many citizens of Kavajë share the same predicament as people in many other cities in Albania. This was enough for Kavajë, too, to be one of the cities where unrest broke out yesterday. The demonstrators carried slogans against the foundations and demands addressed to the government; together with the presence of an agitated group of young people, this made for a scene Kavajë had not witnessed in a long time. After much discussion, following the passage of the rapid-intervention vehicles heading to Lushnjë, tensions continued to rise until a group of protesters gathered in the city center. The protest began at around 18:30, during which many of the slogans heard here for some time—and in virtually all Albanian cities—were heard once again. The crowd headed toward the Municipal Hall, where it was stopped by the police, who tried to maintain calm during the hour-and-a-half-long protest. Until late at night, there were no reports of injuries on either side. The only incident reported was the breaking of the windows of a gaming venue, but the police intervened here too to prevent further damage. The protest ended at around 20:00.

AFTER THE INCIDENT WITH RAMA TIRANË - Outraged, disappointed, insulted, angry... The faces of the students at the Academy of Arts displayed many of the feelings mentioned above. News that brutal violence had been used against Edi Rama and Vladimir Myrtezaj, two well-known figures in art and culture, compelled the students to gather in their lecture halls. Yesterday the Academy of Arts was packed. It was an unusual occupation by no one in particular, but one that had to take place in the name of protesting against violence. The student artists came out into the square in front of the Academy in the early hours of the morning. A canvas bearing photos of the bloodied Rama called on all their colleagues to join this form of protest. A statement addressed to all students called on all their colleagues opposed to violence to join the protest. A huge manifesto was written amid slogans in two languages, Albanian and English: No to violence. Their statement explained the reasons that led them to leave their lecture halls and gave their views on the violence inflicted on Rama and Myrtezaj, which they described as “violence directed against free intellectual thought.” Yesterday afternoon the police removed the large banner bearing the words: Stop the violence. Manifesto yesterday at the Academy of Arts

Photo H. Pustina

Manifesto yesterday at the Academy of Arts