The protest that covers more ground than supporters

The Albanian opposition’s Tuesday protest brings some new elements that make it not the “largest in history”, as Sali Berisha calims it will be, but the “largest georgraphically.” This is because the protest will not unfold in a specific area in Tirana, but will spread across multiple locations throughout the capital, covering a much larger area.

This new organization has some positive aspects. First, it spares Berisha the embarrassment of revealing that he cannot gather enough people. With protesters spread out, it becomes harder to estimate their numbers. Concurrently, by concentrating them at multiple intersections across Tirana, the protest will appear more organized and compact compared to the previous one, where participants were scattered across various locations nationwide. This also makes it easier for organizers to manage the crowd.

The second advantage is that the protest will take place in the evening, making it harder to identify who is participating and where they are from. This approach aligns with the outlaw-like image Berisha promoted during the protest organized in London on Sunday, coinciding with Prime Minister Edi Rama’s meeting with the Albanian diaspora. This protest, too, carries a similar rebellious tone.

The third advantage is that Berisha might include passersby or local residents in the protest areas as part of the crowd. This tactic could allow him to present the event as the largest protest in history.

However, there is one flaw to this strategy. While the protesters may lack visible support from citizens, they are likely to face frustration and backlash from many who will be inconvenienced by blocked roads. This issue is far more pressing than Berisha’s house arrest, Ilir Meta’s detention, or any other challenges attributed to Berisha’s leadership.

Berisha himself has driven many Albanians to distance themselves from the opposition. Now, by disrupting the capital’s main intersections, he hopes to compel people to sympathize with his cause. It’s a desperate move, emblematic of someone increasingly isolated—left at home watching old socialist realist films about guerrilla fighters in their twilight years.