Erjon Vishkulli is continuing to experience severe pain while receiving hospital treatment after being struck in the left eye by a rubber bullet during a protest in Tirana, an injury that could potentially leave him permanently blind in the affected eye.

Vishkulli, a passionate supporter of Albania’s national football team, was caught up in the events on Tuesday while among student protesters. In an interview with Top Channel he recounted the moments leading up to the incident and described how he was injured.

“I had gone to meet my friends and was planning to leave,” Vishkulli said, explaining that he had removed his oxygen mask shortly before encountering a journalist he knew.

He said police officers were approximately 30 meters away and that he had not noticed any reaction from them before he was suddenly struck.

“Then I was hit. I walked about two meters and fell to the ground,” he recalled.

Vishkulli said the rubber projectile remained lodged in his eye and that he was still experiencing significant pain. He acknowledged that he could not yet assess the full extent of the danger to his vision.

The circumstances surrounding the shooting and the potential long-term consequences of the injury remain matters of concern as he continues to receive medical care.

“Albania belongs to all of us,” Vishkulli said at the end of his interview.

His account comes amid heightened tensions surrounding protests in the Albanian capital, where clashes between demonstrators and police have raised concerns about injuries, the use of force and the safety of those present at demonstrations.