By Desada Metaj
After several hours of violent clashes between protesters and police forces in Tirana, officers from the RENEA special unit have been deployed in the area in front of the Prime Minister's Office.
The deployment of this unit comes on the fifth day of protests, during which law enforcement forces have confronted protesters using tear gas, pressurized water, and rubber bullets, while stones, fireworks, and Molotov cocktails have been thrown by the crowd.
RENEA, the Armed Element Neutralization Unit, is a specialized structure of the State Police, which is used mainly in high-risk operations, including interventions against armed individuals, counter-terrorism operations and situations requiring special tactical skills.
Unlike structures tasked with maintaining public order during gatherings, RENEA does not have the usual task of managing protests. However, its engagement may be linked to specific security assessments and special operational needs.
In the case of today's protest, no official explanation has been made public about the concrete reasons that led to the deployment of this unit in front of the Prime Minister's Office, whether it is to reinforce security measures or to replace other police forces.
Law No. 82/2024 “On the State Police” and the relevant by-laws constitute the legal framework for the organization and functioning of police structures. In order to determine the concrete basis for this commitment, it is necessary to know the operational order and the risk assessment on which the decision was made.
It remains unclear whether the placement of RENEA in front of the Prime Minister's Office constitutes a preventive security measure or is related to a specific risk identified by the State Police.
