Dances, Banners, and Beatings: Chaos Erupts at Edi Rama’s London Rally

Amid Albanian folk dances and political banners, fists flew, activists fell, and a Prime Minister smirked as his henchmen turned London’s Olympic Park into a battlefield.

The Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London, a space typically reserved for sports and unity, bore witness to a gathering fraught with contrasts on this chilly November Sunday. What began as a celebration of Albanian heritage quickly unravelled into an unsettling tableau of political theatre, cultural pride, and unbridled violence. The day’s events painted a vivid and unsettling portrait of a diaspora torn between celebration and dissent, between nostalgia and discontent.

I arrived at the park on the tip of a colleague, hastily pulling on my trousers and grabbing my camera, expecting perhaps music and dance, not the raw tension and chaos that awaited me. The sun was weak, the air crisp, and as I navigated through the crowd, the atmosphere felt expectant, yet uneasy. Demonstrators gathered outside the venue, their placards protesting the arrival of Albania’s Prime Minister, Edi Rama

Protesters and police face off outside the venue, with signs accusing Edi Rama of depopulating Albania, at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024. (VX Photo/ Vudi Xhymshiti)

Inside the gates, the disorganisation was immediate. Security checks oscillated between meticulous and indifferent, reflecting a broader lack of control. Tickets were ostensibly required, yet waived with a shrug; we were told the hall needed to be full, ticket or not. The press credentials we carried were eventually accepted, and we were waved through, an inadvertent signal that whatever control existed, it was superficial at best.

The hall itself was a layered canvas of participation. The lower tiers brimmed with people, enthusiastic faces, some waving Albanian flags, others chatting animatedly. The middle section was sparser, and by the upper levels, it was nearly barren. The imbalance hinted at the event’s underlying complexity: for some, this was a genuine moment of connection; for others, merely an obligation or curiosity.

The Dance of Culture and Ambivalence

I first gravitated toward a troupe of young dancers dressed in traditional Albanian costumes. Their intricately embroidered outfits caught the light as they prepared to perform. They were warm and eager to share their pride in their heritage. One dancer, Leticia, spoke of how her friend’s mother painstakingly crafted the garments by hand, a labour of love that encapsulated the richness of Albanian culture

Traditional Albanian dancers wave red Albanian flags as they perform at the rally, adding a vibrant display of cultural heritage to the politically charged event at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024. (VX Photo/ Vudi Xhymshiti)

“We’re here to represent our country,” she said. Yet, when the conversation veered toward politics, a haze of uncertainty emerged. Leticia referred to Edi Rama as “the president” and seemed only vaguely aware of his actual title or policies. For her and many others I spoke to, the event was less about the man on the stage and more about the shared joy of community, the music, the dancing, and the chance to reconnect with their roots.

The Arrival of Edi Rama and the Eruption of Chaos

Edi Rama’s entrance into the rally is met with applause and a mix of enthusiasm and skepticism among attendees at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024. (VX Photo/ Vudi Xhymshiti)