The eighth opposition protest lasted less than two hours, with rain seemingly dampening any enthusiasm for what was being called a “peaceful uprising.” The rally, which started an hour late, appeared to have dwindled in attendance.
The leader of the Democratic Party, accompanied by MPs and other party figures, approached the square from the blue headquarters about an hour after the announced time. This time, Berisha chose not to even set up a podium in front of the Prime Minister's Office, leaving the "speech" in the hands of one of the organizers who repeated the usual accusations, while from time to time trying to wake up the crowd with chants of "Rama out".
After 20 minutes of standing in front of the government building, the protesters had spared the Molotov cocktails this time and started the march towards the Ministry of Interior. However, just as Police Chief Hitaj had warned that the protest should be organized within the perimeter, the police did not allow passage towards the ministry, creating a cordon to prevent the protesters.
This action also provoked the first clash between the police and the citizens. The situation quickly became tense, as the police immediately reacted with water and tear gas to keep the crowd away. On the other hand, there was no shortage of Molotov cocktails and fireworks towards the cordon of the law enforcement forces.
Moments of tension continued for several minutes even after DP leaders asked the police not to provoke, while protesters threw fireworks at the police.
After the plan to go to the Ministry of Interior failed, Berisha gathered the remaining citizens and headed to the DP headquarters, from where he closed the eighth protest of the "last kilometer".
