Today, in fact, I protested for...Albania!

 

We were 34 people today protesting in solidarity with the Turkish citizens who are facing the brutality of a regime that only now is clearly understood and fully seen in its action, by the international community. For what it really is: a regime that does not want human rights to be respected. As simple as that!  

 

Some of us came later in the protest that was held at Piramida, situated at the main boulevard of Tirana. Some of us left earlier.

While the Turkish citizens are protesting for thousands of reasons, two questions remain important in this article: why were we so few and, what is the most important issue: why were we there, to protest today?

 

I do have some answers for the first part of the question: low sensitivity for a protest that happens somewhere far; probably because the initiative was launched a few days ago by LGBT activists and not  from groups, let’s say, with a little ”wider” focus from the civil society (in our LGBT protests we have fewer people, for the sake of truth), probably because the time was inconvenient, perhaps because it was originally meant to protest in front of the Turkish Embassy and later on was decided to protest in front of the Pyramid (at the center of Tirana) for pure logistic issues (The Turkish Embassy is almost outside Tirana), etc.

 

But this part of the question does not bother me. Over the last 8 years I have been protesting and I don’t consider anymore that “Why people do not protest”, because it just exhausts me and I have to say that, I have never really understood why...

But the second half of the question is still running on my brain! Honestly, deep inside me, I am not 100 percent sure what was the main reason that made me went out to protest today!

 

Our website Historia-ime.com has dedicated these days its most important space to the events in Turkey, our Turkish friends and activists have kept us updated on the situation. This is one more reason to be irritated with the violence by the police, because being informed in details of course makes you more sensitive.

The situation with the media there and my personal sensitivity about the media was certainly a reason why I went to protest today.

The “need” of protagonist…? Yes, why not, but just a little bit… (if we would have more such characters!). I say just a little bit, because even being protagonists in protests I Albania has become old fashion now.

The fact that our friends I mentioned above, are the vanguard of the protest in Turkey, as LGBT activists, was unquestionably a stronger reason.

But deep inside, now that by listing the reasons they are clear also for me, there is a kind of jealousy as well! How many things we could change in Albania, only if the youth of this country had the nerve and the courage that we have seen these days in Istanbul?

 

Think how much better our life would be, if our young people and intellectuals knew how to coexist with the different, and not only that, but to unite for a common cause. To protest during the night without necessarily being leaded by any party, and during the day to clean the environment, to stay close LGBT with militants of ideologies, environmentalists with radicals of political thought, feminists with groups who demand respect for the rights of believers, those who advocate for the right to wear head scarves for example, with those who advocate for the radicalization of the women’s movement, communists (if we have any) along with activists of the former property and land owners, miners with artists, seniors with youth.

 

Istanbul is now a city ideally and in a utopian way free: FREE!

 

At the time when the muezzin sings, the protest stops in respect of Muslims, when Jews have their Sabbath, nobody drinks alcohol in the key areas within the park in Istanbul, where LGBT draw their graffiti with their colorful flag, others do not despise them, in the contrary, they respect them.

 

They eat all together and they have fun all together!

 

Imagine that there is 49 percent (?) of the 15 million inhabitants of Istanbul!

And that’s why, the protests in Turkey for people like me are a real magnet and the sensitivity is at the maximum level, that’s why I can’t resist.

The last answer, is for those who will come up with the "argument": why don’t you protest for the injustices in Albania?

 

These are the same people that when we protest for women’s rights, they never show up, when we protest for the children rights, they never show up, when we protest for the lack of water supply or unemployment, they still do not show up, when we protest for human rights and marginalized groups, they never show up, when we protest for freedom of the media, they never show up.

 

Today, in fact, I protested for...Albania!