National Theatre Protest in Albania
Albania’s Constitutional Court Suspends National Theatre Proceedings
After three sessions, the Constitutional Court in Tirana has suspended the legal initiatives that paved the way for construction of a new National Theatre undertaken by the government and the Municipality of Tirana until the court issues a final decision on the issue.
The old National Theatre was demolished in May 2020, after three years of protests by activists.
Albanian Activists Commemorate Anniversary of Theatre’s Demolition
Activists and civil society groups gathered on Monday at the square of the National Theatre in Tirana to commemorate the controversial demolition of the building a year before, announcing another protest at 6pm.
Why a Theatre’s Demolition Has Sparked Outrage in Albania
Critics say the demolition of the National Theatre is an old project of Prime Minister Edi Rama, since the time when he was Culture Minister in 1998 and proposed to build a tower in its place and incorporate the theatre inside.
The renewed bid to demolish the theatre divided artists and activists, and raised concerns among anti-corruption and heritage watchdogs.