2026-10-22 20:37:14Politikë SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX

The Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sports, Blendi Gonxhja, argued on the show "Off the Record" that the removal of paving stones on Tirana's boulevard was done to avoid their use as a cold weapon during protests.

Gonxha focused on the way protesters collected stones in buckets to later use them as ammunition, comparing this scene to the independence cake episode.

According to the minister, footage shows that stones were taken from the sidewalks, collected in buckets, and then distributed among protesters to be used during clashes.

"The boulevard and its sides cannot be turned into an independence cake, where the paving stones were taken, and those who were worried about the removal of stones by the municipality's excavators, to remove the cold weapon that could be used by people who did what they have done these days with these stones and the historic boulevard, should have spoken earlier about the value of this boulevard," said Gonxha. 

"Of course it's disarmament, disarmament of stones. The videos are clear, it's completely the image of the independence cake, the way they are thrown into buckets and from these buckets they are used as ammunition that are distributed among the people and these stones...

We were dealing with stones that were very dangerous as cold weapons and that are more easily moved. We could not move the buildings, of course, but where we can, why not, a move is made, since you have destroyed the sidewalk and it will be re-mosaiced by the craftsmen, I guarantee the citizens", the minister continued. 


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