Mighty waves of change swept through Belgrade as thousands of citizens took to the streets, answering the students call to protest the Novi Sad tragedy. The sheer size of the demonstrations has been hailed as the largest in Serbia`s history, a thunderous challenge to President Aleksandar Vučić’s autocratic rule. Meanwhile, in Tirana, former Prime Minister Sali Berisha attempted to stir up a storm but ended up with little more that a dizzle. His protest against the TikTok ban barely mustered a handful of supporters, turning what was meant to be a bold political statement into a embarrassing flop.
A historic mobilization in Serbia
The heart of Belgrade pulsed with energy as tens of thousands flooded the city centre, demanding accountability for the tragic collapse of a concrete shelter at the Novi Sad train station that claimed 15 lives on November 1, 2024, For over four months, Serbian students have stood firm, pressing for political and legal responsibility. This latest protest, however, has eclipsed all previous ones, cementing itself as a defining moment of resistance against Vučić’s grip on power.
Meanwhile, in Tirana…
If Belgrade`s protests were a symphony of defiance, Tirana`s was little more that an out-of-tune whistle. Berisha`s rally, intended to mobilize young people against the government`s decision to ban TikTok, failed spectacularly. Despite his calls for mass participation, the turnout was so feeble that drone footage of the event quickly became meme material. For the second time in a row, young Albanians turned their backs on Berisha`s desperate attempts to make TikTok censorship a battle cry for free speech. The government has justified the ban as a measure to shield youth from violent content, but Berisha, ever the dramatist, framed it as an Orwellian assault on freedom.
Berisha`s Grand Illusion
Even in the face of an almost empty square, Berisha did not hold back in declaring victory. In his post-protest speech, he painted a picture of an electrifying youth uprising, claiming that Prime Minister Edi Rama had been “permanently marked as a ruthless enemy of freedom and young Albanians.” According to Berisha, the protest was nothing short of an extraordinary manifestation of free spirits defying tyranny. Unfortunately for him, the camera lenses told a very different story.
A Desperate Attempt to Ignite a Spark
Actor Mehdi Malkaj took to the stage in an effort to inject some fire into the lackluster crowd. With an impassioned plea, he invoked the spirit of resistance:
“Nothing changes without protest! The Greeks burned Athens, the Serbs tore down their government. And us? Are we sheep? We don’t have a history of being sheep! You need to show up at the polls and vote for what is called change because we’re dying here!”
Following him, the few young attendees echoed their frustrations, arguing that TikTok was not Albania’s real problem and that censorship was not the answer.
A Stark Contrast
The juxtaposition between the two protests could not be starker. While Serbia witnessed a surge of civic awakening, Albania saw a political stunt fall flat. In Belgrade, the people marched with purpose, demanding justice for a national tragedy. In Tirana, Berisha tried to manufacture outrage over TikTok but found himself speaking to a near-empty plaza. One city roared; the other barely whispered. The question remains: when will Albania’s youth find a cause truly worth rallying behind?
Written by our correspondent A.T.
