Edi Rama condemns attacks, calls for boycott for singer Yll Limani's concert

Among other things, he writes that more and more verbal violence daily, filled with pressure and threats against anyone not listed with the boulevard protesters. He also took an example of the calls to the streets that protesters make to citizens like “rise from the skull”. Through a long post on social networks, Rama said he does not personally know the artist and does not listen to his music, but added that the campaign of attacks against him represents the most disgusting “affecting” of a phenomenon that, according to him, is accompanying protests held on boulevard.

“Dunga online to him, violent calls for boycotting his concert, threats after his success last night, I consider them the most disgusting expression of a phenomenon accompanying the” boulevard protest, Rama wrote.

The head of the Albanian government sharply criticised what it called an increase in intolerance and pressure on citizens who do not support the protests, warning that this climate could harm democracy and public debate. He said a <x0dist of verbal violence” is creating, filled with threats, pressure and insulting languages against anyone who does not line up with protesters.

According to Rama, history has shown that extremist movements have often started with just such forms of social pressure and exclusion of different opinions. In this context, he brought in examples from fascist Italy, Nazi Germany and the Greek movement “Golden Agim”, stressing that imposing through intimidation cannot replace argument and democratic dialogue.

Rama underlined that the protest is a fundamental democratic right and should be respected, but added that equally important is the right of citizens not to protest and express different opinions without facing attacks or labels. When the protest casts a shadow of the only claim that who doesn't protest is less citizen, less patriotic or less Albanian, then democracy is not endangered from above, but from below”, he stressed.