After I posted about the protests in Albania, a viewer left a comment making accusations about who was behind them. I responded with what I had experienced myself: I had gone to Tirana and spent two days there.
I wanted to hear people for myself
I went to speak with people, listen to the speeches and understand the reasons for the protest. What I experienced was peaceful and dignified. That is my account of being there, not a description of everything that happened at every protest.
Some of the people taking part were people I knew personally: colleagues in Tirana who worked, or had previously worked, with dua.com. When I spoke with them, they explained their own reasons for being there. Those conversations mattered more to me than labels attached to them online.
Start with their reasons
My response was to ask people to inform themselves before judging. Listen to the interviews and speeches. Hear the students’ demands. Speak with people who are taking part and ask why they came.
This account does not establish who organised every event or verify the accusations in the comment I was answering. It records why I went and what I encountered. My point was that we should hear people’s reasons before deciding what their presence means.
Original social post · 2026-10-19