Eight days that five families have been left out on the street
President Berisha’s “Benz” is blocked by distressed people left out in the cold. One citizen throws himself in front of the President’s car wheels. Another citizen, together with his 3-year-old child, steps in front of the car. The President’s car has its license plate broken.
As was also reported last week in our newspaper, the police, following a decision, evicted five families in Tirana from their homes. Even today, they remain out on the street with all their belongings. The extremely dramatic situation facing these people was made worse by the rain that fell in recent days. Given that all these families also have minor children who are forced to sleep on the pavement, the situation becomes even more distressing.
Perhaps, in a few words, these were the reasons that compelled these people, at 8:00 on Wednesday morning, to step in front of the President’s “Mercedes” as he was on his way to the Presidency. The incident took place on “Asim Vokshi” Street, near the offices of “RD”. Around 15 people—men, women and children left without shelter—asked President Berisha to speak with them and help resolve the serious hardship that had befallen them. They told the President that no one would receive them, and that was why they had turned to him in this way. Meanwhile, the President remained seated in his car. To give a brief account of what happened, it should be said that as the President was passing along “Asim Vokshi” Street, Hysen Zaimi lay down in front of the escort car with his 3-year-old child to stop it. At the same time, Fadi Zaimi threw himself in front of the wheels of the President’s “Benz” for the same purpose. The situation that arose on this street in the capital was resolved through the intervention of the President’s escorts. They moved the citizens who had blocked the road aside, and the President’s car then continued on its way to the Presidency. The only damage was the breaking of the front license plate of the presidential “Benz”.
The following day, citizen H. Zaimi again stepped in front of the President’s car at the main bridge on the Boulevard. President Berisha saw him and gestured for him to go toward the Presidency. There, two representatives of the President came out to meet H. Zaimi and conveyed his words to him. According to H. Zaimi, the President said: “I have summoned the Deputy Prosecutor as well as two deputy ministers to deal with this matter. If it cannot be resolved, then it should go to court.”
While this matter truly requires an urgent solution in accordance with the law, the five families have continued their pavement-bound lives for eight days. Dhurata Hoxholli says that she and her two young children, aged 10 and 5 respectively, are without shelter and their health is at risk. The others add that, living on the street, they have been eating dry bread with gjizë or onions for more than a week. None of them can say how long this miserable situation will continue. The signs of sleeplessness, exhaustion, anxiety and inadequate food are easily seen on their faces. When asked whether they have any hope for the future, they all reply: “Our only hope is President Berisha, from whom we expect only justice.”
There are hundreds of families in Albania who lack housing, for various reasons. But this particular case involves an unusual situation. Everyone who passes by the “Agimi” apartment blocks feels pity when they see these people, who, along with their pile of belongings, have been living for eight days on the pavement in front of their former apartment building. If a solution is to be found for them, action must be taken before it is too late. If the law does not support them, let people think humanely—as one person for another, as one Albanian for another. Let them think of the innocent children and of those people who have worked all their lives but are now out on the street, left to the mercy of fate and under God’s protection.