In brief
Student demonstrators in Tirana have taken the streets this Saturday, turning a protest that began in June into an all‑out clash with riot police. Masks, rocks, petrol bombs and fireworks were exchanged as police deployed water cannons, tear gas and, for the first time, rubber bullets. The protests, which grew to demand Prime Minister Edi Rama’s resignation amid corruption allegations, saw crowds swell around the education ministry and later the PM’s office, with tear gas landing directly in the crowd and sparking renewed attacks. Meanwhile, 80 people have been charged and hundreds more arrested, sparking police investigations into alleged corruption links involving the former secret service chief. As Albania strives for EU membership, the unrest highlights a rift between a long‑seated ruler and a generation demanding political change.
Tirana’s streets were seized this Saturday after weeks of building tension between students and the state.
Masked protestors, many with high school and university backgrounds, hurled rocks and petrol bombs at riot police.
Police reacted with water cannon and volleys of tear gas, and for the first time used rubber bullets.
The protests, which began in early June, have turned into a wider anti‑government movement demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama amid corruption allegations.
While the crowds wore gas masks, volunteers handed out saline eye wash to soothe tear gas residue, and the sounds of exploding petrol bombs reverberated across the city.
The focus shifted to the Prime Minister’s office on the city’s main boulevard, where the crowd swelled, and riot police were met with cobbles and fireworks; tear gas was launched repeatedly, some drops falling back into the crowd and causing panic, prompting renewed attacks.
Reports say 80 people have been charged, with hundreds more arrested or under investigation.
Among the protestors is Greek, a 19‑year‑old medical student who carried rocks and said, ‘We were peaceful for 135 days… we are trying to make a revolution.’
The unrest follows investigations of former secret service chief Vlora Hyseni, accused of helping business figures close to Rama evade justice.
Edi Rama remains defiant, blaming opposition conspiracy and foreign interference, while insisting that the nation must stay focused on its EU membership ambitions, despite the growing calls for his resignation.
