Thousands of people joined rallies across Albania on Thursday on the third day of protests against a US request to host the destruction of Syria’s chemical weapons stockpile.
Thousands of activists and students turned out in front of parliament and the government office in Tirana on Thursday, blocking traffic for hours. Other protests were held in Durres, Elbasan, Shkodra and Fier.

Protesters called on the government to turn down a US request to host the destruction of Syria’s chemical weapons, saying the process puts people’s health and lives, and the environment, at the risk.

Smaller rallies against the import of Syria’s chemical weapons were held in Kosovo and Macedonia.

The protests are backed by Albania’s main opposition Democratic Party, which has called for a referendum on the issue, accusing the government of Prime Minister Edi Rama of ignoring the people’s wishes.

“The Democratic Party steadfastly opposes this process,” Democratic Party leader Lulzim Basha said. “For such a vital issue, the people must decide,” he added.

However, when Basha and former Prime Minister Sali Berisha tried to join the rally in Tirana, dismayed protesters told them to leave and not highjack their cause.

“This is not your cause – ‘no’ to politicians,’ the activists said over loudspeakers.

Based on a UN Security Council resolution from September, Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad’s chemical stockpiles have to be removed from Syria by January 2014, and destroyed before June.

The resolution came on the heels of a chemical attack on opposition-controlled suburbs of Damascus in August, which killed more than 1,700 people.

Under the threat of air strikes, Syria agreed to give up its chemical weapons stockpiles. It has declared that it has more than 1,000 tons of such weapons.

Prime Minister Rama has confirmed receipt of the US request, but maintains that no decision has been made, and that there is no cause for alarm.

“Any possible ‘yes’ from us will be tied to a plan, which should be clear to everyone that Albania will benefit from,” he said.

However, on Thursday, the governing coalition appeared split on the issue, with some parties rattled by the popular anger.

Speaking to protesters outside parliament, speaker of parliament Ilir Meta, leader of a junior party in government, assured the crowd that their “voice would be heard.”

Meanwhile Ben Blushi, an MP from Rama’s own Socialist Party, called on the government to reject the US request, saying that he would vote against it.

“The government should withdraw from these negotiation, which are creating panic and a bad image for Albania,” Blushi said.

“This is the time to hear the people’s voice, because we did not come to power to dismantle [Syria’s] chemical weapons,” he added. balkaninsight