r/news • u/AudibleNod • 1d ago
Title Changed by Site Riots erupt in Albania’s capital as students join anti-government movement
https://www.nbcnews.com/world/europe/riots-erupt-albanias-capital-students-join-anti-government-movement-rcna603644349
1d ago
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u/NoIsland23 1d ago
Because what the youth protests need is a true revolutionary party that leads them
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u/Corodix 1d ago
What they need is to make such a party themselves, because any existing party that takes up that mantle is just going to lead them by the nose.
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u/NoIsland23 1d ago
The students can do that for all I care, that's fine
As long as they're well educated, well organized, well prepared and ready to do absolutely anything without compromise they're OK.
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u/thegmohodste01 1d ago
Idk if this is satire or not, but for the record, this is exactly what Lenin introduced in the bolveshik communist movement - claiming that a 'vanguard' party would be required to facilitate the transition from the dictatorship of the proletariat to the classless society idealized by communism.
Of course, the vanguard party ended up sidelining the working class by centralizing authority and planning the economy. The transition goal was quietly abandoned.
In my opinion, only Swiss-style direct democracy is the true answer, because representative democracy is inherently designed to create a holier-than-thou political class.
Not saying that that's where we're headed, but there's been countless instances where ambitious and self-serving opportunistic individuals seize power for themselves using just this pretext. Lenin in Bolshevik Russia and Napoleon Bonaparte in France under the Directory.
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u/OldAccountIsGlitched 1d ago
In my opinion, only Swiss-style direct democracy is the true answer, because representative democracy is inherently designed to create a holier-than-thou political class.
Doesn't Switzerland have a mixed system? People are given more opportunities to vote directly on policy but the political parties still run the day to day governance.
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u/NoIsland23 1d ago
Yes I am well aware that this is basically the core idea of Marxism-Leninism.
I'm not saying "NO" to parliament, but you won't achieve any real progress in this current system, but a revolution, even if peaceful, cannot easily achieve much (if anything) without proper leaders.
The politicians have zero interest in changing anything we want, the capitalists want to keep us as poor as possible, the military is pushing for higher spending and the working class is absolutely torn apart by a wide range of different issues.
Every time something like France, Spain or Albania comes up, nothing happens. Why? Because the people are not organized whatsoever. Their left hand doesn't know what the right is doing. They desperately need someone to plan, organize and lead. Remember the 5 Ps: Proper-Planning-Prevents-Poor-Performance
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u/Paraparo 1d ago
What we are all waiting for is actually central organization and leadership. That's what many modern protest movements fundementally lack, a leader who can say "this is what we want", and more importantly, reign in the group once those objectives are met, or some sufficient compromise is had.
Without some central group, with clear, objective goals... These kind of movements aren't actually something that can easily be addressed. There is no sure way to actually satisfy the groups, who may not even all agree on what they specifically want, may have mutually contradictory goals, and may not be willing to actually stop even if they get what they allege to want.
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u/_Pixelmancer 1d ago
Serbian students are leading a successful political movement with no leaders. Decisions are based on direct democractic votes within universities
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u/Paraparo 1d ago
That is, in its own way, leadership. Maybe not a literal, physical leader, but if they've a central body that can make motions that bind the participants, that's the core aspect that matters. If they vote, and the people who didn't get their way agree, that works. The issue is if they don't get their way in the assembly, do they break away. That's where the issue fundementally arises.
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u/clarky2481 1d ago
While its likely to have started as genuine grassroots youth protests, it seems like foreign governments or organisations have capitalised on the opportunity to sow division and cause chaos. Watch videos of these protests, can you honestly say it looks like local childrens and teachers?
Might sound cookerish but has happened before and there are plenty of dodgy governments out there, Russia, Iran, etc
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u/HatinCheese 1d ago
And when protests happen in Russia, Iran or China, do you accuse western governments of interference too or is it something only non western aligned countries do? Why is it so hard to believe that people in western countries are fed up with their governments?
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u/VariationBusiness603 1d ago
Yeah, no, just no. Our governments stopped serving us in the 80's and things have only gotten worse since then. Of course people are rising. What the fuck does that even mean "not looking like local chidrens and teachers" ? how are we supposed to "look like". Sounds like a racist dogwhistle.
Also, if you were ever so slightly less of a racist asshole, you'd realise that the videos that reach you are carefully curated to show you certain things and not others.
Right winger and other neoliberal morons just burry their head in their asses because they can't fathom the proles would dare speak up instead of taking it worse and worse, years after years. Truth is, y'all are exactly as "dodgy" as the bogeymen like Russia and Iran. Also props for somehow not mentioning the dodgiest of them all, the good ol' US of A.
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u/TimSylvester_ 1d ago
Yes.
It's always possible to prevent mass upheaval by just not being an evil bastard.
The powers that be simply refuse to do so. They wouldn't end up in that position if they were capable of not being an evil bastard.
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u/amateur_mistake 1d ago
No doubt this is much larger than Jared and Ivanka and the fact that their whole family is so intensely shitty that they are still involved is just nuts.
The trumps are evil fucking people.
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u/Adventurous-Tone-311 1d ago
I wish we as Americans had this sort of spine.
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u/boblabon 1d ago
Albania's unemployment rate is 8.3% with a youth unemployment rate of 17.7%.
France, also experiencing mass protests, also has an unemployment rate of 8.3%, and a youth unemployment rate if 20.6%.
For contrast, the same source (tradingeconomics.com), lists the US unemployment rate as 4.2% and youth unemployment at 9.9%.
There's your 'spine'. Every mass protest movement at it's core comes down to high levels of unemployment. A mass of people who A) want to work, B) are physically capable of working, and C) are currently NOT working. The main reason a lot of protests are referred to as 'Student-led' is because youth unemployment is typically higher.
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u/MindofShadow 1d ago
same reason we did have mass protests for police brutatliy during covid.
people were at home doing nothing.
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u/BoJaNYK 1d ago
It’s not about doing nothing, it’s about actually having the time and mental space after work.
With the unrealistic working hours and commute times you guys have, no wonder it’s hard to go to a protest after work. On top of that, it doesn’t help that you also have to drive to that protest as well.
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u/SkiingAway 1d ago
It's also that frequently the objects of your ire are not really nearby.
For example: I am in a left-leaning area of a left-leaning state. I can perhaps quibble a bit about if every member of my political representation does exactly what I want, but broadly speaking: the large majority of the people in my area support what I support, and so do my local, state, and federal elected officials.
If everyone in my area goes out to protest I don't really see why the right-wing federal government would care. They'd probably just put video of it on their news to mock or fear-monger about. If we all stop working, it will cause far more economic pain to us before it is felt in the slightest in right-wing areas. And so on.
Yes, everything has to start somewhere, but in the absence of some sort of already broad enough movement to make an impact, it's difficult to feel like your local efforts are doing anything but being counter-productive.
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u/lostwisdom20 1d ago
So just as planned, keep people constantly on brink of homelessness so they don't ask questions.
Many in that statistics don't even earn living wage.
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u/PhoenixDwnElixir 1d ago
Another factor to consider is demographics.
Would these percentages hold if we filtered for race, gender, and class? The strategy is to obfuscate the numbers and make them as large as possible so that we lose the trees for the forest.
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u/DrowningKrown 1d ago
The reason the US has 'lower' unemployment is because we have a massive 'gig' economy. If you lost your job, you can totally go drive uber, DoorDash, Walmart, Lyft, shipt, Amazon flex, etc and barely scrape by between jobs. You're functionally unemployed...but you have a small paycheck at the end of the day.
To me, our unemployment is higher than what is being reported. Especially with high diesel and gas prices. Those gig paychecks are dogshit but they're technically still 'employed'.
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u/SmallPurplePeopleEat 1d ago
Similar to China where there's currently 300 million gig workers, which represents 40% of all employees in the country. And those numbers are only increasing.
What happens when more than half of a countries workers are working unstable and low paying gig work? I don't know, but we're about to find out real soon.
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u/Dt2_0 1d ago
I mean we could easily organize an internet holiday with some viral advertising to not order Uber or Doordash rides or food for a week. You bet your ass things will boil over if that happens. Only problem, lots of people relying on those gigs would loose their homes or vehicles. But you bet it would boil over really quick.
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u/Few_Advisor3536 1d ago
I saw this youtube short the other day about how their food delivery system works and its nuts. I’ll link it cos its worth the 2 minute watch. Its predatory to the point its built so the company can get free labour by ‘fining’ the ‘employees’.
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u/FightmeLuigibestgirl 1d ago
Yeah but going by recruitinghell and poverty finance, those gigs don’t even cover things like rent or basic living and some people are barely scrapping by.
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u/Massimo25ore 1d ago
Americans can’t protest or strike, since their minimal workers’ rights would probably result in a loss of their job without any contribution from the State to alleviate the unemployment. Also, militarised police won’t allow big strikes.
So a country is sliding into a dictatorship, while people who should strike because of that mistake a strike for democracy for one for employment.
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u/apocecliptic 1d ago
Also, from what I understand, most other countries do not have unemployed not counting as so if they’re unemployed for more than a year, as we do in the US. So the unemployment rate here is probably closer to to those rates than our actual rate.
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u/insightful_pancake 1d ago edited 1d ago
The US has 6 ways of tracking unemployment U1-U6 and the rates for each are released publicly. You can compare whichever figure is most comparable for whichever country you want to compare against.
France’s headline rate definition includes people without work, available to start within 2 weeks, and actively seeking work. This is very similar to the headline US U3 rate (4.2% American vs 8.3% French)
The US U6 rate is 7.6% vs French ~15% (synthetically constructed unemployed + halo workforce + underemployed)
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u/thepianoman456 1d ago
Also, geography is at play here. The USA is HUGE and has lots of decentralized populations, unlike Albania, which is an entire country that’s roughly the size of Connecticut. It’s much easier and effective for small countries to protest.
And speaking of other countries having protests like France; it’s much larger, but it’s still an entire country that can fit into one of our states like TX.
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u/Putrid_Mind_4853 1d ago
It’s not a lack of spine imo, it’s bigger issues like infrastructure, pitiful social safety nets, low population density, and lack of any cohesive culture. Add in an overly militarized police/ICE apparatus, and it’s very hard to do.
My state alone is like 5x the size of Albania, so organizing people around it, finding central meeting spaces to protest, is much more difficult, especially with gas at $5/gal. For example, it would cost someone from my community $200+ in gas alone to attend a protest in the state capitol.
Most people in America are at-will employees with health insurance and everything else tied to their job. Lose your job, and you are absolutely fucked.
We’ve been conditioned to hate “the other” (political party, race, class, religion, sport’s team fan) for decades, if not since the outset of our country. Our country is so big and such a melting pot that it is easy for people to hand wave away bad things happening to other people because “those people” deserve it and nothing bad like that would ever happen to good lil ole us.
In big cities with high population density, we have had serious protests over the last 10 years, like the BLM movement in 2020. Protesters were run over, tear gassed, and beaten by other citizens and police alike during those protests in my city. People like Alex Pretti and Renee Good have been killed by ICE more recently.
Are people supposed to risk being killed by the government and leaving their kids, family, etc behind with basically no recourse?
Getting something bigger and more effective going, like a nationwide strike, is very difficult in a country as big, divided, and militarized as we are. Newt Gingrich’s “divide and conquer” strategy worked way too well.
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u/Rare-Faithlessness32 1d ago
It’s more cultural than it is health insurance, the Anglo-Sphere just doesn’t protest like Europeans. Canadians have health insurance but sometimes with the exception of Quebecers, protesting like the French just isn’t a thing.
In addition to states being so big, Anglo-sphere countries are way more decentralized than most European nations. There’s no point on marching in D.C. or Ottawa or Canberra when most decisions are made in Tallahassee or Halifax or Perth. A lot of the things that people are protesting about in Europe are decisions made by local school boards here in Canada.
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1d ago edited 1d ago
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u/Putrid_Mind_4853 1d ago
Okay, are you willing to go be shot by ice over this? Even the original person I replied to is just as “spineless” and culpable unless they’re somehow actively and effectively rebelling against it. It’s very easy to sit back and criticize others (or even yourself), especially when you’re not putting your health, safety, and life on the line.
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u/Ambitious_Address667 1d ago edited 1d ago
Like me myself no, but im also not american, so I dont have plans to cross the boarder anytime soon especially to be shot.
And your point is correct as is mine. Its hard to be in the position that demands you act, just as not acting whej in that spot deserves the title of spineless. Americans are in a rough spot where they are being given the choice to do the right thing which is risky, or do nothing and keep on keeping on. They are by in large opting for the second option, which is dissapointing but fine. The real issue becomes the rest of the world has had to listen to them being the land of the free and the home of the brave for the past 100 years and woof what a lie that was eh?
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u/Putrid_Mind_4853 1d ago
Every country does PR. Plenty of Americans for multiple generations have not swallowed that kind of slogan hook, line, and sinker like you apparently did.
What do you honestly want? Do you want people outside, skipping work and protesting (in their towns? Congregating in the cities?) Do you want them to be peaceful but occupy or be destructive? What should they do when police react with batons, tear gas, guns, etc.?
Should they do this even there is a very low chance of it leading to any significant changes and with possible serious legal or mortal consequences for them?
It’s very easy to sit in your chair or whatever and say these kind of things if you don’t sit down and deeply consider the consequences of those actions. You admit it’s “risky but fine.” It’s way more than risky, man. Enjoy ending up a legal slave in prison while Jan 6ers all got a pardon if you do it under his admin.
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u/Ambitious_Address667 1d ago
I thought i did answer your question its the second sentance in my comment?
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u/Ambitious_Address667 1d ago
Cool then give up trying nothing if thats what you need to do i guess?
Every american asks the same thing and its always the same answer we do want to see you guys protest against this governmnet, do it peacefully but do it on weekdays. Maybe do a general strike. But everytime you guys take it to the extreme that they would mow you down, so that way you feel justified doing absolutly nothing. So do nothing, I absolve you or whatever you need to hear. But don't come here making excuses for it or why its to hard just say you gave up.
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u/Putrid_Mind_4853 1d ago
I told you why a general strike is hard to organize. You haven’t offered any advice on how to alleviate that. Look at how the right has demonized strikes for decades and how little support they generate among the general population too.
Striking is also illegal for some people here. It takes a certain amount of critical mass support and desperation for that to become a reasonable option for people whose insurance, pension, mortgage, family, etc. are riding on it.
Unless you’d be willing to sacrifice your whole livelihood and that of your family, don’t be willing to sit on your high horse and judge others, that is my point. You have no idea what it is like to be an average American.
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u/Ambitious_Address667 1d ago
Ok so paragraph one? I didnt offer to help organize it but its not hard to organize its the easiest time in history to organize a strike. Use the internet to make it happen, look up how they get organize and follow that, the info is readily availbe for you to not look up.
Paragraph 2, its illegal becuase you guys let the system get so bad, if you hadn't been doing nothing for generations now you wouldnt be in this place but hats the price you pay for not doing anything for so long. This is where there sarcafice comes in, its either going to stay on the same trajectory or get worse, or you guys do something, its up to you to saw whats worth it.
Paragraph 3, and yeah I can say that I would be willing to sarcafice my livelihood if it meant making my kids lives better. Also you havent sacrificed anything so dont judge me as being on a high horse when you are sitting there doing the same. You have the chance to act and are not I dont have a chance but can sure as shit judge you for not acting when its making both of our lives worse. Being an average american isnt that fucking hard, you come from the richest country that has ever existed and have access to the most advanced techology thats ever existed, you have a quality of life better than kings in the past. Its not hard you guys just lack a spine when it comes to doing the right thing
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u/FireHammer09 1d ago
Or more people are in a comfortable enough position that they don't think it's worth it or necessary than you realize.
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u/BungeeGump 1d ago
Student protest in the U.S. wouldn’t do anything because youth is a low turn out demographic in a low turn out country. You’d need a massive, cross-demographic to get any movement from government.
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u/Usagiusagiusa 1d ago
what will it take for Americans to send up to the government.
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u/boblabon 1d ago
Statistically, an unemployment rate of at least 8%. Closer to 10-11% for any REAL action in my opinion.
Too many people are (broadly) comfortable enough to risk it all on mass protest/revolution. It's just game theory. If your personal financial situation is 'just getting by' or better, you don't have a financial incentive to revolt against the system. The risk/reward matrix is not in your favor. If you join a revolt, and it fails, you'll be in a much worse situation. If your situation is worse than "getting by", the calculus flips. If your financial situation can't get worse, then you'll be more likely to revolt since if it fails, you were screwed either way.
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u/CyberNinja23 1d ago
With whatever is going on today I would not be surprised if a civil conflict is sparked by an AI.
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u/montagblue 1d ago
Official numbers are washed. In reality it’s closer to your ‘action’ numbers if not higher. The maniacs that are looking into nuance have it closer to 24% as of July
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u/WriterPlastic9350 1d ago
That 24% figure includes anyone earning under 30k ish a year or under 35 hours a week. Stop making shit up
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u/montagblue 1d ago
*26k not 30k, I didn’t make up something you read. I guess they look at it as “functional unemployment” with other things like people wanting more hours and making under 26k is not considered a livable wage.
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u/Dt2_0 1d ago
Dude we are comparing to stats in other countries which use similar "Currently without work, looking for work, available to start within 2 weeks" indexes similar to the US standard unemployment rate.
In other countries, that stat has to hit around 8% for things to kick off and get people on streets in mass, and 10-11% for massive pressure on changes.
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u/montagblue 1d ago
Do the people with influence over the official numbers know about that ‘things to kick off’ percentage?
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u/Dt2_0 1d ago
My dude, you are looking for controversy where there isn't. While countries publish their unemployment rates, they can also be VERY easily verified independently. Even independent reports put the US Unemployment rate (Not working, actively looking, able to start within 2 weeks) at somewhere between 4 and 5%, right in line with national numbers. France and Albania are seeing DOULBE that at least.
Also the published numbers don't get people on the street. It's the fact that there is a critical mass of people who have nothing to do other than kick things off. It's not some magic "Oh no the new report shows 8% guess we are protesting next weekend" it's critical mass of the population going "Yo, we are all out of work and have been looking for gainful employment for a while now, time to hit the streets."
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u/montagblue 1d ago
FESAC and BLS were… reorganized? Gutted seems a bit too controversial to say.
“President Trump fired BLS Commissioner Erika McEntarfer in August 2025 following a lower-than-expected jobs report, accusing the agency of political manipulation—a claim rejected by economists and former commissioners.”
Canceled and delayed reports
“The administration delayed or called off multiple high-profile releases, including monthly jobs reports, inflation metrics, and the advance estimate for Q3 2025 GDP, citing government shutdowns and data reliability concerns.”
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u/Dt2_0 1d ago
Dude like I said, it is extremely easy to independently verify unemployment numbers. It's not something you can easily hide. And like I said, it's not the numbers that cause people to freak out. It's the ACTUAL PEOPLE who are unemployed that are the problem. If somehow a government manages to keep a lie going about unemployment and says it's at 4%, but it's actually over 10%, that means that 10% of people have nothing better to do but hit the streets.
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u/RadicallyDontCare 1d ago
Why would they when they have it better off than almost anyone in history?
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u/UnitSmall2200 1d ago
Post your address on the internet and invite people to come over and start this in your street
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u/johnclaystrike1 1d ago
Very briefly read this as “Riots erupt in Alabama’s capital” and maaaaaaan that would be sweet
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u/pvincentl 1d ago
"Reuters found no evidence of wrongdoing by Kushner, who is not directly involved in the villagers’ dispute." Calling BS on this; their land would not've been taken if not for a buyer.
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u/Dismal-Display-370 1d ago
So many “student” protest across the world, Bangladesh, Indonesia, India Albania, why now suddenly?
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u/Low_Exchange824 1d ago edited 1d ago
Students or student-aged people have been the driving force behind radical movements since time immemorial. They have the least to lose, are most likely to endorse countercultural political ideas, and have the most energy to spend; plus schools gather all these people into one place. The 1848 Austrian Revolution was student-driven, the 1817 Wartburg Protests, the Arab Spring in Tunisia, the Shining Path, the Chinese Cultural Revolution, the American Antiwar Movements of the 60s-70s, just for some examples.
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u/Worthyness 1d ago
Young people getting phased out from jobs for the most part. Youth unemployment means they put their energy towards action
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u/SueflixAndChill 1d ago
Being on the verge of WWIII for the past couple of years, without perspectives of being able to buy a house or having a salary beyond minimum wage, and watching the older generations greed ruining the world, seem to be good enough reasons for the protests. You can only squeeze people so much before they explode.
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u/HatinCheese 1d ago
Why "student", are you doubting what they are? Students and young people are definitely bottom of the pyramid, it's a demographic that is usually seen as inferior in many countries and cultures and that cannot vote so it's harder for them to defend their rights except with protests.
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u/SuccessfulRaccoon957 1d ago
They specifiy "student" because when a student protest occurs outside of Europe, it is a thing to cheer on. When it occurs in Europe however it is something to be doubted or shunned. This is the reason why so many people here who supported the Iran protests and Hong Kong protests now call these protests violent or immoral. They have a view of domestic politics which is inherently naive and liberal: that one should protest through official means rather than these grassroots movements. Basically they think the current round of protests is infiltrated or corrupted as that is the only explanation for why they are doing what they are.
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u/Plopsevenplop 1d ago
I would make the argument that AI tech oligarchs have broken the social contract of “work hard, study hard, profit” and students around the world no longer feel they’re studying for any sort of future that will involve them.
Youth unemployment and underemployment numbers are reaching levels where the majority of young people feel they have no future and nothing left to lose by tearing down the systems that made them feel that way.
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u/Ok_Crow_9119 22h ago
Because we're hitting the breaking point of capitalism globally; capitalism is no longer working for a lot of the people. And with social media, we get more views and news from all over the world. So when we are able to compare the shit that we have internally vs what someone else has, we realize that we are being shortchanged and that we need to clean house.
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u/theTRULYdeadguy876 1d ago
The police are kidnapping people in unmarked cars and beating on children
This is urgent and a civil war might happen
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u/PurpleSailor 22h ago
Man those Albanians are madder than a Czechoslovakian Interior Decorator. Remind me to never piss them off.
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u/Rhyaith 1d ago
This isn't students causing all the riots and damage. That's just what they're labeling it as. What students take chainsaws to local trees just because they've ran out of things to burn or destroy, or also just destroy everything in the school they're trying to "fix." This is mass chaos and won't end until it's treated seriously how it should be. They shouldn't be allowed to cause this much disarray, chaos, and damage. That goes beyond simple "student protests."
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u/Coolistofcool 15h ago
It is pretty common that protest movements are infiltrated by singular persons oppositional to a protest movements aims who attempt to conduct violence as to frame the protest movement for such violence.
Happened all the time during BLM, lived around Portland at the time and there were out-of-state guys (proud boys & other such) who would come into town just to stir up violence. Most of them eventually got charged or joined ICE.
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u/TarArov 1d ago
It is fascinating to observe how quickly student-led unrest can appear contagious across different european borders, raising the question of whether these movements are driven by shared systemic grievances or if distinct local issues are simply peaking at the same time. While many of these demonstrations trace back to economic pressures, academic funding cuts, or political corruption, the varying degrees of intensity from region to region often depend on how specific local interest groups capitalize on the broader momentum
observers from outside europe are left wondering how much of this friction is a direct response to regional policies, versus a flashpoint exacerbated by deeper demographic shifts and changing social dynamics within these urban centers. It really highlights how a single spark in the student community can act as a lightning rod for a wide array of pre-existing societal tensions.
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u/Hungry_Bluebird_4734 1d ago
Albania has had major protests since the start of the year.
This is likely just using the other protests as momentum to carry on their previous protests.
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u/Nomadic_Gene 13h ago edited 12h ago
Has anyone seen these reports on tv news stations in the US? Curious if this is intentionally being played down since trump doesn’t want to have this reported out.
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u/didierdechezcarglass 11h ago
Support from france. Let our convergence of struggles form the revolution we need.
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u/Dry-Use3 1d ago edited 1d ago
Visiting someone here in Tirana but I'm from California. I understand why they are protesting but out for a walk today and the amount of just hap hazard vandalism that started recently related to the protest is something I don't understand. Sidewalk street lights smashed for no reason. Community garbage bins burned and overturned into the street. Traffic and crossing signal signs pulled down or busted up beyond repair.
Edit they just started again the rest of the street lights outside the apartment got destroyed when a group came by.
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u/MidlifeWarlord 1d ago
I mean, when Americans protested over various stuff a few years ago - lots of shit got burned to the ground.
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u/squeezyscorpion 1d ago
“i know they’re upset but they don’t have to be so messy about it!”
such an american response to a protest lmao
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u/Dry-Use3 1d ago edited 1d ago
Shitting up your own neighborhood while not even slightly bothering those that are actually fucking you... Maybe these dipshits can learn to lookup politicians addresses and smash up their shit or maybe the fact they can't is why they are in this in the first place.
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u/CoolDimension3898 1d ago
Ever wonder why your protests are just ignored by your politicians in America.
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u/blueblip 51m ago
You are the exact kind of person who condemned the Civil Rights protest in the US. The exact kind of person who MLK wrote about.
You deplore the demonstrations taking place in Birmingham. But your statement, I am sorry to say, fails to express a similar concern for the conditions that brought about the demonstrations. I am sure that none of you would want to rest content with the superficial kind of social analysis that deals merely with effects and does not grapple with underlying causes. It is unfortunate that demonstrations are taking place in Birmingham, but it is even more unfortunate that the city’s white power structure left the Negro community with no alternative.
And:
I have almost reached the regrettable conclusion that the Negro’s great stumbling block in his stride toward freedom is not the White Citizen’s Counciler or the Ku Klux Klanner, but the white moderate, who is more devoted to “order” than to justice; who prefers a negative peace which is the absence of tension to a positive peace which is the presence of justice; who constantly says: “I agree with you in the goal you seek, but I cannot agree with your methods of direct action”; who paternalistically believes he can set the timetable for another man’s freedom; who lives by a mythical concept of time and who constantly advises the Negro to wait for a “more convenient season.” Shallow understanding from people of good will is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding from people of ill will. Lukewarm acceptance is much more bewildering than outright rejection.
And:
In your statement you assert that our actions, even though peaceful, must be condemned because they precipitate violence. But is this a logical assertion? Isn’t this like condemning a robbed man because his possession of money precipitated the evil act of robbery? Isn’t this like condemning Socrates because his unswerving commitment to truth and his philosophical inquiries precipitated the act by the misguided populace in which they made him drink hemlock? Isn’t this like condemning Jesus because his unique God consciousness and never ceasing devotion to God’s will precipitated the evil act of crucifixion? We must come to see that, as the federal courts have consistently affirmed, it is wrong to urge an individual to cease his efforts to gain his basic constitutional rights because the quest may precipitate violence. Society must protect the robbed and punish the robber.
So in your head, protesters cutting down trees is a far more heinous action than decades of corruption that has robbed Albania blind? This is the hill you are trying to die on?
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u/RandomRavenboi 21h ago
Albanian here.
We're doing this because we're left with no choice. We protested peacefully for several months straight with no result, leading to only mockery from the government.
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u/blueblip 48m ago edited 32m ago
He's a typical American Martin Luther King Jr. wrote about how people like him were the biggest stumbling blocks to the Civil Rights Movement because they would whine about black Americans protesting win the same rhetoric: your method of seeking justice is less important than me need for convenience.
Because, you know, cutting down trees is SO much more heinous than corrupt politicians robbing a country blind for decades and never being held accountable for it!
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u/CoolDimension3898 1d ago
Americans don't understand protesting. If it's not causing a disruption, it's easy to ignore.
That's why nothing changes in your country and you are so easily controlled.
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u/projectilepineapple 23h ago
public infrastructure is being targeted intentionally to paralyze activity in the capital and force the government into meeting the protest's demands. while of course there are elements who join in for the thrill and trouble-raising of it, the destruction in general is directed.
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u/No-Supermarket-6065 1d ago
Good for Albania, the worldwide spread of student protest movements seems to be gaining ground.
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u/No-Background-5810 1d ago
The resort to revolution story should be adopted by Democrats in the USA. We are all flamingos!
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u/hajenso 1d ago
The most remarkable thing about this current situation in Albania is that, uniquely in Albania‘s history, this is a mass revolt against the ruling class which is not led or controlled by a major political party or faction of elites. A major slogan of the current protests is "Rama në burg, Berisha në Burg" (Rama in prison, Berisha in prison), which is as if a mass American protest movement were to be chanting "Jail Trump, jail Harris."
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u/electricfanwind 1d ago
Democrats are an institutional liberal party that believes in preserving the status quo above all else. If people started to actually disruptively protest via rioting you would have Democrat politicians tripping over eachother to convey peace and respect for law and order on the news in order to appeal to right wing voters.
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u/lostwisdom20 1d ago
Hell yeah youths have always made themselves heard, boom-ers need to retire along with thier ideology and hate
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u/Wonderful_Pace_398 1d ago
And the Trumps fuck up Another country
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u/RandomRavenboi 21h ago
The Trumps have nothing to do with this.
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u/Present_Influence315 5h ago
"The protesters have joined a broader anti-government campaign, the so-called flamingo movement, opposed to a development project linked to President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner." - fkng illiterate loser.
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u/Zabertron_ 12h ago
What does this have to do with Trump?
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u/UNDAPressure4795 11h ago
The protesters have joined a broader anti-government campaign, the so-called flamingo movement, opposed to a development project linked to President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner.
Trumps, plural. Can you read?
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u/AudibleNod 1d ago
India has cockroaches. Albania has flamingos. We better hurry before all the political mascots are taken.
Here's their demands:
protesters formalized five demands: Rama's resignation; the formation of a 12-month non-partisan technical government; constitutional and electoral reforms, including a two-term lifetime limit for the prime minister; the repeal or reversal of disputed laws concerning strategic investments, protected areas, cultural heritage and mountain development; and a new social contract between citizens and the state.