Protestsupdated 1h ago2 min read
Albania Protests Turn Violent in Tirana as Edi Rama Faces Calls To Resign
This article is an automated aggregation of coverage from news outlets. Our editorials offer in-depth analysis curated by the NewsCord team.
Protesters clashed with police in Tirana demanding Prime Minister Edi Rama's resignation. Demonstrations cite corruption and rising living costs, with hundreds injured and many arrests.
Tirana clashes escalate
Anti-government protests in Albania turned violent in Tirana as demonstrators clashed with police and demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama over alleged corruption and economic grievances. Edi Rama told a meeting with the heads of educational institutions that ongoing student protests had turned into an organised attempt to destabilise the country and hinder the EU integration process.
Rama warned that he will respond to the protests with a new package of penal and administrative sanctions, after he published a video on Facebook showing him placing a sign with the word “Dialogue” and 12 red chairs at the entrance to the Prime Minister's Office. Jesmina Sengla, a student involved in the protests, responded with the comment: “In your dreams.”
Rama blames hybrid war
Edi Rama blamed a “hybrid war” for escalating unrest in Albania following a week of violent anti-government demonstrations in the capital, Tirana. Rama said in a statement broadcast live during a visit to the Education Ministry, “This has now been recognized and is becoming a major issue across Europe,” and he added, “It is a hybrid war that gains traction precisely because it is rooted in genuine grievances, not mere fantasy.”
Riot police fired tear gas and used water cannons to disperse protesters attempting to approach government headquarters, while demonstrators launched fireworks and hurled Molotov cocktails and stones at officers. Hundreds of university professors marched in solidarity with protesters, carrying a banner reading “Stop violence against students,” and they called for Rama's resignation.
Crackdown and demands
Rama sought to step up the government crackdown by offering security forces extra money to suppress the worst political crisis of his 13 years in office, as students in Tirana remained on strike for the past week. The Nation said Rama gave cops bonuses to crack down on dissent, and it quoted Rama telling police officers, “You cannot negotiate with this,” and “The moment the state negotiates with this, it has fallen.”
The protests drew widespread damage to government buildings and public property, and the clashes included tear gas, water cannons, and baton beatings as demonstrators threw rocks, exploded fireworks, and burned dumpsters. The Nation reported that at least 100 protesters and 50 police were treated for injuries, and it said dozens of protesters had been hospitalized or arrested by Sunday night.