Violent clashes erupt in Tirana as protests against Prime Minister Edi Rama continue
Protesters and riot police engaged in repeated confrontations in central Tirana, with police using water cannons, tear gas and rubber bullets, while demonstrators threw rocks and petrol bombs and called for the prime minister's resignation.
Demonstrators and riot police clashed in the centre of Tirana on Saturday for the fifth consecutive day. Masked protesters, many of them high school and university students, threw rocks and petrol bombs at officers defending the education ministry, a focal point of the demonstrations. Police responded with water cannons, tear-gas canisters and, for the first time, rubber bullets, dispersing the crowds.
The protests, which began in early June, have expanded into a broader anti-government movement demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama amid corruption allegations. Participants wore gas masks or face coverings, and volunteers distributed saline eyewash to alleviate tear-gas irritation.
In the afternoon the focus shifted to the prime minister’s office on the main boulevard, where crowds grew larger than on previous days. Riot police faced a steady stream of stones and fireworks and deployed additional tear-gas canisters, prompting further panic among protesters.
Police special forces arrived later in the day to reinforce the riot units. Authorities reported injuries on both sides, 80 people charged with disorder, and hundreds of arrests or ongoing investigations. The streets of central Tirana were left with broken glass and burnt debris.
George, a 19-year-old medical student, said he was prepared to confront police, stating, "We have mothers too. We have family too. We were peaceful for 135 days. Now we are trying to do like in France… we are trying to make a revolution. Our government doesn't want peace, so we are using violence."
Klea, a 17-year-old university freshman, said students were boycotting classes and leaving school to protest, adding that some provocateurs were damaging shops and banks to discredit the movement.
Prime Minister Edi Rama, who has led the Socialist Party for 13 years, posted on social media urging Albanians not to forget the country’s achievements and blaming the protests on the opposition Democratic Party and on "the sinister agenda of foreign actors" without specifying which actors. A journalist and activist, Osman Stafa, called for a neutral caretaker government for one year to organise new elections.
Parallel investigations by the special prosecution service have led to the arrest of secret-service chief Vlora Hyseni, accused of assisting businessman Ergys Agasi in evading justice. Agasi, through his lawyer, denied any wrongdoing. Rama’s party holds a majority in parliament, and the next parliamentary elections are scheduled for 2029.