
The Director of the State Police, Skënder Hita, has reacted after the attack on Police Station No. 3 in Tirana, which was set on fire.
He says in his reaction that the Police have been under frontal attack for six days.
Hita says that police officers are not enemies of the people, while continuing to state that all those who attack police officers will be held accountable before the law.
Full reaction
Dear citizens,
In the evening hours, Police Station No. 3 in Tirana was the subject of a serious and unprecedented attack by groups of masked individuals, who used Molotov cocktails, pyrotechnics, stones and hard objects against the building and Police officers.
As a result of this attack, 10 police officers were injured, who were on duty, serving the protection and security of the Police Station. I would like to emphasize that these officers had not been engaged in police actions during the previous days of protests.
The attack created a serious risk not only to the life and health of the Police officers, but also to the escorted persons who were inside the premises of the Police Station.
I want to be very clear to everyone that an attack on a police station is not a protest.
Hitting police officers with Molotov cocktails and other dangerous objects is serious violence, which is punishable by law and cannot be justified under any circumstances.
Even today, other attacks on Police officers have been recorded, with the use of stones, pyrotechnics, metal spheres and Molotov cocktails, causing the injury of several other officers.
For six days now, State Police employees have been facing repeated acts of violence, while continuing to fulfill their duty to guarantee public order and security.
Violence against police officers, attacks on institutions, and endangering people's lives cannot be tolerated.
The State Police is working to identify all persons involved in these attacks, document their actions, and refer the evidence to the competent justice bodies.
Any person found criminally liable will face the consequences provided by law.
No one can use the constitutional right to protest as a shield to exercise violence, attack police officers, or destroy public and private property.
The right to protest peacefully is guaranteed and the State Police has the obligation to protect it. But equally clear is our obligation to intervene, in accordance with the law, against any action that violates life, security and public order.
I have instructed all police structures to continue fulfilling their duties with professionalism, self-restraint and determination, while rigorously respecting the law, standard procedures and the principle of proportionality.
The determination to stop violence must in every case be accompanied by respect for the law and the rights of citizens.
I call on all persons involved in violent actions to immediately cease them. Any further attacks on police officers, institutions or citizens' property will be met with the response provided for by law.
At the same time, I appeal to all citizens, especially those who peacefully exercise their right to protest, to distance themselves from those who use violence and not allow their actions to endanger the safety of others.
The State Police is not an opponent of citizens. It is at their service.
A climate of hostility between citizens and police officers should not and cannot be created. Trust and cooperation with the public are the foundation of our mission.
I express my full support to all Police employees who, despite the difficulties and danger, continue to fulfill their duties with dedication.
I wish a speedy recovery to my injured colleagues and express my gratitude for the professionalism and sacrifice of every police officer who is serving the citizens today.
In conclusion, I want to assure citizens that the State Police is and will remain on duty.
We will not retreat in the face of violence and we will not allow attacks on institutions to undermine the fulfillment of our mission.
We will act with determination, professionalism and responsibility, always within the limits of the law.
The safety of citizens, the protection of life and the guarantee of public order are our obligation and our non-negotiable responsibility.