Angry protests after demolition of Albanian national theatre
9832 Mins Read
Albanian authorities began demolishing the national theatre building early on Sunday after dragging away two dozen actors and activists protecting the site, drawing a large crowd chanting “shame” and “dictatorship”.
For more than two years actors, activists and the opposition have contested plans by Socialist Prime Minister Edi Rama to build a new theatre, saying the existing building was part of the country’s heritage, and accused him of corrupt practices.
Police guards outside the National Theatre being demolished in Tirana, Albania, 17 May 2020. The Albanian government decided to pull down the buildng that was built by the Italians during the occupation in World War II, despite the opposition of artists and many others who consider the building of National Theatre as national heritage and historical value. EPA-EFE/Malton Dibra
A large police force showed up before dawn and removed members of the Alliance to Protect the Theatre, using pepper spray. Mechanized diggers then began demolishing its front column, bearing the words “National Theatre”.
The fate of the building, constructed in 1939 and made into a national theatre in 1945, has divided society, with many angry that Rama had chosen to act during the coronavirus lockdown.
Protesters shoved police blocking access to the site and chanted “down with the dictatorship”, leading to 37 arrests. One policeman was hospitalized after being hit by protesters, while a Reuters witness also saw one protester with head injuries.
Critics of the original plan for a new theatre said the work had been awarded to one of the government’s preferred partners without being subject to tender, with the construction of several new high-rise properties included in the deal.
The Socialist government withdrew that plan in February.
Protesters have claimed that a six-month period is required by law for a new project to be approved, and that the government has not secured the proper permits to carry out the demolition.
Mariya Gabriel, the European Union’s Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth Commissioner, last week urged further discussions before any decision was made on the theatre.
President Ilir Meta, who holds a largely ceremonial role in government, has complained to the constitutional court about the demolition, which he has called an “legal, moral and constitutional crime”. The court is yet to rule.
