The leader of the Together Movement, Arlind Qori, has announced the holding of a protest with pensioners this Thursday in front of the Albanian Parliament, accusing the media of censorship of his call.
In a video message released last night, Qori expressed his indignation that no television or portal has reported on the protest, except for the official website of the Joint Movement. According to him, this media silence is related to the influence of "oligarchs" and the lack of attention to social issues.
"Issues that affect over 700 thousand citizens, such as pensions or the living wage, are treated as second-rate, while the media deals with political gossip," said Qori, inviting citizens to become "the voice of the media itself" and join the protest.
The protest is expected to start at 10:00 in front of the Parliament, with demands for the approval of the living wage, an increase in pensions, and a reduction in the cost of living.
Arlind Qori's post:
I can't help but share a concern with you. I've been waiting for three days to see if any media or portal will publish the announcement of the Together Movement protest with pensioners that will take place tomorrow at 10 am in front of the Albanian Parliament. And hand on heart, no news, no television, no portal, no type of media, except for the Together Movement website and its activists, has announced that protest. Now, the question arises why? How is that possible? Of course, the big answer is found in the censorship of the oligarchs. We have rightfully stepped on the calluses of many oligarchs and their media and it is not surprising that they will censor us. We have even noticed that there are some show hosts on these oligarchs' televisions that every time my name or the name of Together Movement is mentioned, they tremble as if they have been stung by a wasp or some other insect. However, the explanation of the oligarchy alone is not enough because even in our strongest, most radical protest against the oligarchs, you will still find 2-3 portals, no matter how peripheral they are, to report it as a protest. This has to do with something more. Perhaps it has to do with the fact that socio-economic issues, which affect hundreds of thousands of people, over 700 thousand citizens who are pensioners, are considered second- or third-rate issues and all the attention is on the soap opera or political rumors. What did Rama say to Berisha, what did Berisha say to Rama, did anyone see Balluk or Veliaj, what does an MP X of the DP or any other party do and there is no concern to report events that really affect citizens. Therefore, I would like to ask all of you who are listening to this message that what the traditional media does not do, what the portals or anyone else does, we do. Each of us should either share this video message, or share the announcement of the Bashke movement and become us, each of us should become the media and above all, gather tomorrow, Thursday at 10 am in front of the Albanian Parliament to demand some other things that we should have achieved long ago. The living wage, dignified pensions, reducing the cost of living, approving the status of miners, and many, many other things that belong to us. But as we know, to this day we have not had them. These are not issues that affect a few people, they are not issues that only concern the Bashke Movement, rather the Bashke Movement is simply the instrument, the catalyst in the hands of society to build sufficient power to realize the emancipatory goals, the goals of social justice and well-being for all. Therefore, I invite you to come together, to become a little media person today, and above all, to become a lot tomorrow at the Albanian Parliament and show those people who two or so years ago doubled their salaries, to show them that here there is a society that lives, there is a society that protests, there is a society that is outraged and why not there is a society that revolts.
