Security forces in Albania have deployed rubber bullets against demonstrators in Tirana as ongoing anti-government protests intensified into their fifth consecutive day. The escalation comes as high school and university students join a broader movement seeking the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama, whose centre-left Socialist Party has governed since 2013. While warning against further destruction, he promised to listen to students and protect their right to demonstrate.
Violence erupted throughout the capital as participants hurled stones, fireworks, and petrol bombs at government buildings, including the office of the prime minister. Security personnel responded with tear gas, water cannons, and baton charges to control the crowds. National police chief Skender Hita confirmed that rubber bullets were used for the first time during these demonstrations, stating the deployment was conducted in a limited manner.
The impact of the unrest has been significant for both sides. The Ministry of Health and Social Welfare reported that nine protesters and four police officers required medical attention following Saturday’s clashes. According to Hita, 167 individuals have been taken into custody over the five-day period, while 132 officers have sustained injuries. Furthermore, authorities have suspended seven officers pending investigations into potential excessive use of force. Unemployment and alleged corruption into a wider confrontation with the government, the unrest has brought growing anger over education.
Students driving the protests have expressed deep-seated frustrations regarding high tuition costs, substandard educational infrastructure, and a lack of job prospects, while also pointing to systemic corruption allegations within the administration. During Saturday’s march, protesters burned a suitcase near the Ministry of Education, a gesture symbolizing their refusal to leave Albania in search of employment abroad. Student journalism major Sinan Billa described the movement as a fight for their rights, future, and the betterment of the nation.
Prime Minister Rama has dismissed calls for his resignation and visited damaged local businesses on Saturday to condemn the property destruction. While vowing to engage with student concerns, he blamed conservative political rivals for fueling the violence. These recent student-led actions have merged with a pre-existing protest wave organized by the Flamingo movement, which initially focused on opposing a luxury tourism project on the southern coast linked to Jared Kushner. The son-in-law of US President Donald Trump, the project is linked to an investment company founded by Jared Kushner.
The disturbances have also moved beyond the capital. In the coastal city of Durres, local reports indicate that demonstrators blocked major thoroughfares with burning barricades and caused damage to a post office, signaling that the public discontent is expanding across the country. Creating burning barricades across streets, some set cars and rubbish bins alight.
