Albanians protest reported plan for their country to dismantle Syrian chemical weapons

An Albanian student wears a gas mask and holds a sign during a protest against chemical weapons during a protest against the dismantling of Syrian chemical weapons in Albania in front of the Prime Minister's office in Tirana Thursday Nov. 14, 2013. Albania, a member of NATO, has said it is studying a request by the United States to host facilities for destroying Syria's chemical weapons, but has not yet taken a decision. (AP Photo/Hektor Pustina) (The Associated Press)

Demonstrators protest against the dismantling of Syrian chemical weapons in Albania in front of the Prime Minister's office in Tirana Thursday Nov. 14, 2013. Albania, a member of NATO, has said it is studying a request by the United States to host facilities for destroying Syria's chemical weapons, but has not yet taken a decision. (AP Photo/Hektor Pustina) (The Associated Press)

A demonstrator wearing a gas mask waves an Albanian flag during a protest against the dismantling of Syrian chemical weapons in Albania in front of the Prime Minister's office in Tirana Thursday Nov. 14, 2013. Albania, a member of NATO, has said it is studying a request by the United States to host facilities for destroying Syria's chemical weapons, but has not yet taken a decision. (AP Photo/Hektor Pustina) (The Associated Press)

About 5,000 people in Albania are protesting a reported plan for Syrian chemical weapons to be destroyed in their country.

"No to chemical weapons!" the demonstrators chanted Thursday outside Parliament and the prime minister's office in Tirana, the capital.

Discussions have been underway for weeks at the Hague headquarters of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons about how to destroy Syria's stockpile of poison gas, nerve agents and chemicals. Western nations and Damascus are believed to favor destroying the weapons in another country. Albania is apparently among possible venues because it has already destroyed its own stockpile.

The protesters questioned whether that can safely be done in their country.

Albanian officials said no decision has been reached about whether their nation will take part in such an effort.