Blendi Gonxhe, an important figure from the December student protests which took place in the 90s, said that the movement initially broke off from the Academy of Arts, as its alumni were characterized by a more progressive spirit.
According to Gonxhe, one of the details that were completely unexpected were the protests for the squalid conditions at the dormitories.
“Life was very difficult in the dormitories, in terms of hygiene, food, and other conditions”, he said.
Gonxhe recounts that they were beaten up during the very first protests, adding that there were efforts to dismantle the protest. He says that the regime was forced to take a step back when over 50,000 people joined the protests.
A student back then, Gonxhe says that one of the techniques they used was to give former president Ramiz Alia some support so that he could become more lenient.
“We thought that by giving some support to Ramiz as president, we were giving him a chance to take some courage, which he never did, so that he could be a much better part of our history”, Gonxhe said.
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