We salute the massive student protests that have broken out in Albania

Announcement of the Communist Liberation youth -νΚΑ- on the student protests in Albania

We salute the massive student protests that have broken out in all big Albanian cities: Tirana, Korçë , Elbasan, Durrës.

The student movement in Albania is currently fighting for just demands, against the increased tuition fees, for better living conditions in student dorms, more democracy and better student representation in the academic institutions. The Albanian government measures first and foremost target the poor students, those who have to work while studying and face more difficulties in completing their studies. But as the Albanian students put it: “A youth that doesn’t protest is a dead youth” and “We are students, not clients!”.

It is obvious that the problems of the Balkan people, and especially the youth, are common: underfunding of Public Education, tuition fees, terrible living conditions in student dorms, class barriers in education, the driving of the poor out of the university education. That is why the struggle of the affected majority in our countries must be common and against nationalist hatred.

The way that the recent incident in South Albania (Bularat) was exploited by nationalists in Greece in order to spread their racist poison, has cost the life of a poor Albanian immigrant worker in Corfu who was murdered by a Nazi, member of the Golden Dawn. For us, this is another proof of the rightness of the slogan: “the fascists want a civil war of the poor because they ‘re the lackeys of the bosses”. In contrast, it is necessary that we advocate the internationalist solidarity of the working people which must be translated into an international struggle for education, work and freedom.

The Public Education has been subjected to numerous reactionary reforms, not only in Greece and Albania, but in all EU countries as well due to the priorities of the policy of the capital. Big student movements with similar demands have been developed during the last decades in Greece too against the attempts of privatization of public education and the imposition of class barriers. These movements have achieved important goals and victories. This is the precious experience from the 27-year experience of the student organization United Independent Left Movement (EAAK), the anticapitalist wing of the Greek student movement which has played a decisive role in the outbreak of student protests in Greece. A lot of Albanian-origin students have taken part in the dynamic movements in Greece and we have common experiences from this struggle.

We hope that the students in Albania achieve a victory in their just struggle. The common experience of struggles of the two peoples, the participation of Albanian immigrants in the social, labor and antifascist struggles in Greece is the only answer to the divisive nationalist poison.

  • Victory to your struggles
  • Solidarity is our power

Communist Liberation youth - nKA, Greece