Albanian riot police deployed tear gas, water cannons, and rubber bullets on Saturday to disperse anti-government protesters in the capital of Tirana. The demonstrators threw rocks at security forces and started a fire at the entrance of the agriculture ministry during the escalating unrest.
Student-led demonstrations have engulfed central Tirana and spread to other cities throughout the month. The movement is driven by widespread anger over perceived government corruption, a shortage of jobs, and declining education standards. Demonstrators demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama have targeted government buildings and banks, setting fires, smashing shop windows, and tearing up paving stones to use as projectiles against police.
The latest demonstrations began on Saturday at approximately 2 p.m. local time in front of the education ministry, where crowds gathered before throwing stones and rocks at police lines. Security forces pushed the crowds back, causing protesters to disperse to several different locations across the city.
“Albanians have woken up,” said 28-year-old protester Daniel Tahiri, who characterized the administration as a “dictatorship with the clothes of democracy.” Another demonstrator, 29-year-old Orgeta Likaj, stated that the public wanted Prime Minister Rama to understand that citizens no longer want him in power due to ongoing corruption and scandals.
This wave of unrest follows months of largely peaceful summer demonstrations opposing a luxury coastal development backed by Jared Kushner, son-in-law of U.S. President Donald Trump. The current protests represent the most significant political challenge yet to Rama, who has governed Albania since 2013 and secured a fourth term in office last year.
