Violence flares again as Albania protests enter fifth day

Anti-government protests in Albania’s capital, Tirana, turned violent again on Saturday, with demonstrators throwing rocks and petrol bombs at police as officers used water cannon and tear gas. The clashes, on the fifth consecutive day of demonstrations, have left people injured on both sides and led to dozens of charges and hundreds of arrests or investigations, the BBC reports. [1]

The protests began in June and have widened into a movement calling for Prime Minister Edi Rama to resign amid corruption allegations linked to his administration. On Saturday, crowds first gathered near the education ministry before moving towards Rama’s office on the city’s main boulevard. The BBC reported that police reinforcements arrived at dusk and that rubber bullets were reportedly used for the first time. [1]

Many demonstrators are students. One 17-year-old protester told the BBC that students were boycotting classes; another demonstrator, a 19-year-old medical student, said the movement had turned to violence after months of peaceful protest. A 21-year-old protester alleged that provocateurs were damaging shops and banks to discredit the demonstrations. [1]

Rama blamed the unrest on the opposition Democratic Party and unnamed foreign actors, while protesters interviewed by the BBC said they opposed what they called the corrupt political class. Journalist and activist Osman Stafa called for a neutral caretaker government to organise elections. [1]

The turmoil comes as a special prosecution service investigates allegations involving people close to the prime minister. Secret service chief Vlora Hyseni was arrested and is accused of helping businessman Ergys Agasi evade justice. Agasi denies corruption; Hyseni told prosecutors she contacted him in an effort to recruit him to the intelligence services. Rama has said he knows Agasi but denies knowledge of illegal transactions. [1]

Rama’s Socialist Party holds 83 of the 140 seats in parliament, and the next parliamentary election is not due until 2029. [1]