Protests erupt in Tirana, Shkodër, Korçë, Pukë, Kavajë, Tropojë, Fier, etc. Citizens of Tirana! Everyone join us today at 11:00, in “Skënderbe” Square, to once again express our protest against the Clique that shot and killed the December Leader, Azem Hajdari. The Democratic Party and “Union for Democracy” say no to the installation of dictatorship!

Yesterday, the trial of the killer Mazreku was manipulated at the Tirana court. The charge was changed to conspiracy to commit a crime. The criminal Mazreku climbs the steps of the Tirana Court. The instigators and accomplices in the crime are absent

. Democrats are escalating political protests against state violence and political crime. Their demands, already announced, are finding support in all the cities of the country. Citizens’ concern over rising crime, smuggling, and the communist revanche, which culminated in the political assassination attempt against Hajdari, is taking the form of a popular protest, entirely different from the violent protests organized and inspired by the former opposition, now installed in power. Even the way today’s democratic opposition is protesting is a clear example of the distance between the governing camp now in power and the genuine democratic forces. Civilized protests, far from violence, far from gangs, far from crime, with clearly articulated demands, directed and led by the opposition—this is a great value emerging in these days, one that the former opposition had turned into a scene of crime and Byzantine bloodshed. Albanians in the cities, and especially in the capital, had forgotten what it was like to see crowds of people protesting peacefully, without weapons, without gangs, without killings, without violence. Albanians are seeing in the opposition’s demonstrations a value they had almost forgotten and saw only on television, in foreign news. Protest as a value is returning to Albanian society. The former communist opposition had violated the value of protest, the value of dissent, and the value of an alternative for thousands of political currents in a civil society. For several months, Albanians experienced and witnessed monstrous scenes of burning, fire, smoke, blood, assaults, killings, gunfire, and other acts of rape, fit only for primitive societies. All of this was organized and inspired by the fanatical oppositionists, while during the day paid thugs carried out the most horrific acts Albanian society had ever seen. Albanians are seeing these days what the free protest of free people looks like, whereas months ago they were forced by the Kalashnikovs of left-wing thugs to take to the streets and demonstrate, to pose in front of cameras, even as they watched their children being killed. Protest as a civic act had been forgotten, violated, and trampled underfoot. The former oppositionists’ thirst to overthrow the government by force, and other acts by gangs and criminals that reached the Parliament chamber and the Government, thus erased this great act of expression by a free and civil society. The opposition is restoring dignity to protest as a civic act, putting public expression by the people back in its proper place. Even this alone would be enough to regard today’s protests by the democratic opposition as an extraordinary contribution to Albanian democracy and its emergence. Albanians are beginning to understand that the future is hopeful and tends toward democracy, progress, and development. Through its protests, the opposition is setting a great example of how a society should respond when it disagrees with something, especially in the face of violence and political crime, the revanche and smuggling of today’s Albanian rulers. The peaceful protests begun by the opposition—and a great hope is emerging—[the remainder of the text is garbled in the source].

Statement by Democratic Party MP Azem Hajdari, from Tirana Military Hospital First, I want to greet and thank from the bottom of my heart all my electorate, all Albanian Democrats, all the Albanian people for their solidarity, for the strong support they are showing me, the Democratic Party, and democracy in Albania. By escalating the policy of communist revanche, Nano’s criminal clique and its group in the parliament of Kalashnikovs will stop at no heinous crime, not even at murder carried out from behind, anti-Albanian and anti-national, just like this clique. This plot was intended to physically eliminate Sali Berisha as a symbol of the struggle to defend democracy, national interests, and the human and national dignity of Albanians. The investigation into this barbaric and unprecedented act in the history of parliaments would bring all this to light. I do not know where his clique [text cuts off] they have no reason to hide behind the Kanun, nor behind [?]tim, Party, and democracy in Albania. By escalating its policy of communist revenge, Nano’s criminal clique and his group in the parliament of Kalashnikovs stop at no heinous crime—not at shooting someone in the back, as they did for 50 years, as they did at the border during the 1990s, as they did on April 2, 1991, as they did in Vlorë and throughout Albania during the red rebellion throughout this year. To evade responsibility, Nano and his clique are trying to portray the crime against me and against democracy as the personal revenge of an irresponsible common criminal, even dragging into this the norms of the Kanun, for which the communists and their offspring have never had any respect whatsoever; if the Kanun were to have any bearing, I was the one who had been attacked and insulted, but what was done to me was a carefully prepared scenario by Nano, Mejdan, Gjinushi, Dokle, and others. This scenario aimed at my physical elimination because the previous night in Parliament I had denounced them as criminals and thieves; it aimed at the physical elimination of Albanians. The investigation into this barbaric act, without precedent in the history of parliaments, will bring all of this to light. Nano and his clique have no reason to hide behind the Kanun or behind the criminal’s irresponsibility. They are also trying to portray him as a brute from the north, once again seeking to create national division, which is one of the gravest crimes they have committed and continue to commit. I am convinced that, with the strong moral support of all Albanian Democrats and under the care of the wonderful Albanian doctors, whom I would not trade for any doctors in the world, I will recover very soon and fight with all the strength of my soul for the victory of democracy and the ideals of December that I represent. Long live democracy! Long live Albania! Azem HAJDARI

The capital, for the third consecutive day, at “Skënderbej” Square The capital, for the third consecutive day, at Skënderbej Square Berisha: The criminals will soon get the response they deserve The State Security Service provokes peaceful protesters in Skënderbej Square. An armed person punched a protester and then ran into the Ministry of the Interior, pursued by dozens of demonstrators ON PAGE 3

65 Shkodran fans arrested and mistreated; they had wanted to join thousands of protesters from Tirana “Qemal Stafa” Stadium resounds with anti-communist chants Yesterday, 65 people from Shkodër were arrested and mistreated by the Tirana Police. The Shkodrans were handcuffed at “Qemal Stafa” Stadium, where the football match between Vllaznia and Partizani was being played. A few minutes before the end of the match, the Shkodran fans immediately turned into supporters of the Democratic Party deputy, chanting slogans: “Azem Hajdari, hero,” “The stadium has begun to resound with anti-communist protests: ‘Hajdari,’” “Long live Azem Hajdari,” “Hajdari, hero.” A few minutes later, units of the Tirana Police headed toward the anti-communist Shkodrans, causing a commotion in the stadium. According to police sources, [the police] prevented the Shkodran demonstrators from joining the anti-communist chants that have been ringing out for three days in Albania’s capital. The Democratic Party deputy, Azen Hajdari, was shot and brutally attacked in the Albanian parliament by the hand of Socialist Party deputy Gafurr Mazreku. The Democratic Party has called this act an attempted murder, and has halted the party’s activities and demonstrations in Shkodër. For more than three days, over 10,000 citizens of Tirana have been demonstrating against communism. Similar protests have taken place in all the cities of Albania. Yesterday, the Shkodrans, too, protested against the communist clique accused of the attack on the leaders of the Democratic Party and Albanian democracy. The Shkodran fans shared the same sentiment and wanted to join the chants of Tirana’s citizens: “Azemi, hero,” “Down with parliament.” M.D

What did Majko want at the Military Hospital? ON PAGE 3

Open letter addressed to the American Secretary of State, Madlen Ollbrajt ON PAGE 3

The criminal Mazreku climbs the steps of the Tirana Court. The instigators and accomplices in the crime are absent

Socialist MP Gramoz Ruçi reveals the second part of the Clique of Nano’s sinister plot

On Monday, 22.9.1997, at 11:00 a.m., a meeting of the National Council of the Democratic Party will be held at the Palace of Congresses. The PDSH Presidency