Press Release on the demolition of the National Theater and police violence

We condemn the demolition of the theater and the police violence against citizens, activists and journalists.

The theater is all of us, we are the theater!

Waking up to sad images like those of the demolition of the National Theater, a symbol not only of the common cultural identity and history of the country, but also of the democratic values and civic resistance, we express our regret and concern for the situation in which Albania finds itself today.

We, the organizations listed below, find ourselves in a difficult position and threatened by a constant state of violence and repression. This repression in recent days has been manifested in the forms of fines and arresting of journalists, public threats to the free media, the suppression of any form of civil resistance, without ever considering dialogue. Anti-democratic measures continue to be taken by the government and public institutions, in a country without real opposition and with a non-functional judicial system and non-functioning Constitutional Court.

For years now, we have been calling out on flagrant and unprecedented cases of human rights violations, as well as controversial legal initiatives taken by our government, for which civil society and citizens have never been invited on the table of dialogue and consultations.

Democracy and the fundamental principles of human rights have never been more in danger than they are today, and together with them our role as civil society and our existence in the years to come.

Frightened by the often pre-announced scenarios and the further escalation of authoritarian tendencies in Albania, we call on local and international institutions, partner organizations, foreign diplomatic missions in Albania and civic organizations to return their focus to the lost democratic values in Albania, and to become aware by reacting to all these flagrant violations.

Today, the Theater no longer exists as a building, but still exists as a set of ideals, and we must keep these ideals alive at all costs beyond any authoritarian ruling caste.

Destruction is not the greatest danger in these moments, but the suppression of free thought and civil resistance, which is setting a dangerous precedent in our country.

The theater is all of us, we are the theater!

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Signatories (alphabetical order):

Albanian Disability Rights Foundation

Aleanca LGBT

Citizens Channel

Civil Rights Defenders

Eko Albania

Exit News

Grupi ATA

Instituti për Demokraci dhe Ndërmjetësim – IDM

Këshilli Shqiptar i Medias

Lëvizja Rinore Egjyptiane dhe Rome

Open Mind Spectrum Albania (OMSA)

Pro-LGBT

Qendra për Nisma Ligjore dhe Qytetare

Qendra Treja

ResPublica

Tirana Legal Aid Society – TLAS

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