From Tirana to Vlorë, Albanians in revolt: “Thieving government!”
Sudja went bankrupt. “Gjallica” is following in its footsteps
In Tirana the scenes of 28 May 1996 were repeated. Instead of money, citizens receive batons and rubber truncheons; after the systematic theft of national wealth, after the violent robbery of the free vote by the state gang, Albanians are also experiencing the theft of their money, the robbery of their sweat, under state supervision! The police of yesterday have turned into the police of today! [KORRIER] On the front page, a group of citizens in protest with banners and demands against the pyramid schemes and the government. Opposition leaders near the deceived people Rexhep Meidani, Milo, Leka, Pëllumbi, Shehu blocked the Durrës-Tirana road for several hours and last Tuesday clashed with the security forces. The news of Sudja’s bankruptcy, which would put an end to the pyramid “game,” spread quickly in Tirana. Deceived people headed to the center of Tirana, gathering in front of the offices of the company Sude. The scenes of revolt resembled those of a year earlier, when the police beat and used violence to remove citizens gathered in the former block of government villas, where Mr. Hajdin Sejdiu, with legal knowledge, had taken the Albanians’ money. In the center of Tirana, in front of the State Bank and the Ministry of Agriculture, protesting citizens demanded that the government return the stolen money. Accompanied by numerous police forces, people protested against the government for destroying the economy and allowing pyramid frauds. After 4 p.m., part of the protesters headed to Skënderbej Square, where they blocked traffic and shouted against the President and the government. On Saturday and Sunday the strong protest of the deceived people continued, with fierce clashes with the police and with the crowd of civilized RENEA police officers. As before, citizens who were waiting to receive an explanation for the loss of their money rushed to take something from the offices of the fallen companies. Images of a social catastrophe, for whose eruption the government’s policy and President Berisha are to blame. Yesterday, opposition leaders followed the protesters closely and called for calm. The chairman of the National Assembly of the PS, Servet Pëllumbi, said there should be no clashes with the police, but a civic reaction. Meanwhile, while the protests were taking place, near the headquarters of LSI[?] a vehicle with police plates was accompanying relatives of senior police officials, who were emptying cruel documents, money, writing materials and valuables and leaving the premises of the company “Sude”. The last convulsions of a backward political and economic system took place last night as well, at the popular company “KONVEJS”. Shareholders deceived out of 28 million lekë “Skënderbeu”[?] staged a violent protest in the city center. Others clashed with the police in front of the building of Mako[?] where they were keeping distribution vehicles blocked. In September, by special order of the President of the Republic, the Supreme State Audit was supposed to carry out an inspection at the company “Sude”, but nothing was done. The main demand of the PPSH is that the stolen money of citizens be returned through the confiscation of assets usurped by government officials and fraudulent companies. Not a single penny of the savings of citizens deceived by these companies should be touched! “Bringing transparency” to the activity of these fraudulent companies is a political and moral necessity. From the city square, people erupted in revolt with words against the government. After the cries “Down with the thieving government”, the crowd chanted in unison “We want our money!”