The Interior Minister Besfort Lamallari has condemned the violence that erupted outside Police Station No. 3 in Tirana, where masked protesters damaged the facility during overnight unrest on July 5.

In a statement shared on social media, Lamallari published images of the damage caused to the station and strongly criticized what he described as the escalation of violence fueled by social media narratives and public figures.

He argued that misinformation and inflammatory rhetoric had contributed to the tensions, referring to individuals he labeled as “moralists,” “armchair critics,” and “delusional revolutionaries,” whom he accused of amplifying divisive messages online.

The minister said the unrest reflects a “cycle of violence” that begins with hate speech and is amplified through online platforms, before culminating in physical attacks on public institutions.

According to authorities, masked individuals broke the station’s door and smashed windows during the incident, escalating tensions outside the building following a protest that had initially taken place peacefully on the “Dëshmorët e Kombit” boulevard in central Tirana.

The protest later moved toward the police station, where the situation deteriorated and property was damaged.

Police say investigations are ongoing to identify those involved, while officials continue to assess the extent of the damage and the circumstances that led to the escalation.