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21/2/2009: Albanian Film Students Under Siege
The dispute between staff and students of Marubi Academy, the country’s sole film academy, and police was the culmination of a long-running feud between the Academy and culture minister Ylli Pango, who the Academy claims wants to flatten a sculpture park in order to build a car park for an Albanian TV channel. The park housed art installations and a large screen constructed by students in preparation for an International Human Rights Festival that was due to take place in March 2009.
Kujtim Cashku, the Academy’s rector, and director of productions Eol Cashku were both taken into custody with the students during the violent protests that were televised across the country.
The Academy made an appeal on its website for international support in its struggle to keep control of its premises.
‘State police forces came to close our film academy under the pretext that we are using illegally part of our premises in the ex-Kinostudio,’ a statement on the website read. ‘This use of force is a violation of the Albanian constitution, education law and civic procedures. The Maribu academy remains as of now, still surrounded by police. The students and the professors are still on the premises continuing the strike. We intend to resist through it all, in order to keep alive the first and the only Academy of Film in Albania.’
A petition to Bamir Topi the Albanian president on the website called for an end to police action, legalisation of the film academy premises, and the resignation of ‘Minister of anti-culture’ Ylli Pango. [ADD]
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