Protests resume in Tirana after Albania announces tougher penalties
Demonstrators in Tirana called for Prime Minister Edi Rama to resign after he announced fines for people taking part in protests that turn violent, even if they did not use violence themselves.
Review information is loading.
Fresh protests took place in Albania’s capital, Tirana, on Sunday, with demonstrators calling for Prime Minister Edi Rama to resign just hours after he announced tougher penalties linked to anti-government demonstrations.
Under the measures, anyone taking part in a protest that turns violent could be fined 500,000 lek (more than €5,500), even if they did not personally commit an act of violence, ANP and Reuters reported.
The crowd marched from the Education Ministry to Rama’s office, where protesters set fire to chairs the prime minister had placed outside as an invitation to dialogue with the government.
The protests are led by students and have been fuelled by anger over alleged government corruption, a lack of jobs and poor education standards. Demonstrations have also taken place in other cities. Protesters have set fire to government buildings and banks, smashed windows and clashed with police, according to the report.
Rama has been in power since 2013 and was elected to a fourth term last year.
Sign in to give this article a thumbs up or down.
About this discussion and AI questions
Private test discussion. Comments are readers’ views and are not yet automatically fact-checked. Editing is available for 60 seconds after posting.
Sign in with a confirmed reader account and choose a username to read comments and participate.
Sorting applies to top-level comments; replies remain oldest first. New comments and likes can change the order. Refresh for the current ranking.
Loading comments…