Journalist Bledi Mane spoke on Live From Tirana on Top Albania Radio about the ongoing citizens’ protest, which has now reached its 25th day.
Asked by journalist Ronaldo Sharka whether he supports the investment project, Mane said he is in favor of investing in Zvërnec, arguing that the beach there is heavily polluted.
“I’ve been to Zvërnec twice. It’s the dirtiest beach I’ve seen. You can barely distinguish the sewage from the seawater, and our garbage is dumped near the wooden bridge leading to the famous monastery,” Mane said.
Speaking about the protests, Mane sarcastically remarked that they take place in the afternoon rather than the morning because many of the protesters work in public administration, while others receive state funding for various projects.
He also pointed out that journalists from Top Media have been free to participate in the protests without facing any consequences, but added that they should also defend their own media company against what he described as unfair attacks.
“We’re both part of Top Albania Radio, and you’ve heard the insults directed at Top Channel during the protests. Tell me, has Top Media management taken any disciplinary action against a single journalist for attending the protests? Many of our colleagues have participated. Has anyone received a warning email? Has anyone had their salary cut? Has anyone been told not to attend? If your company gives you the freedom to express yourself, then you should also defend it,” he said.
Asked about accusations that he is “doing the government’s bidding,” Mane responded:
“If you read what I’ve written and said over the years, you’ll see otherwise. We were on Big Brother twice, one of the country’s most-watched shows, and we never once mentioned the government. If we wanted to flatter the government, that would’ve been the perfect opportunity, and nobody would’ve stopped us. We were live, uncensored, and unedited.”
“Many people simply assign you a role and put words in your mouth. Then they react to statements they themselves invented.”
Mane argued that governments are not challenged through Instagram threats or insults directed at politicians and their families.
“This kind of verbal violence is slowly destroying the protest from within. As an experienced journalist, I don’t see it as being much different from previous opposition protests.”
He acknowledged that the protest has remained free of physical violence, which he said deserves recognition. However, he criticized what he described as an increasingly toxic online campaign.
“For the first time in Albania, similar to the Social Democratic protests during Hitler’s era, people have appeared carrying posters with journalists’ photos. That is extremely disturbing.”
“You are publicly identifying supposed enemies in front of children, mothers, pensioners, emigrants, members of the diaspora, Kosovars, and Albanians from North Macedonia, telling them these journalists are working for the government against the people. It’s a conflict built around an imagined enemy, but one that comes with very real consequences.”
