TIRANA, Albania — Demonstrations led by university students in Albania’s capital turned violent this week as crowds clashed with riot police, set fires at government buildings and demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama, according to multiple news reports.
Riot officers deployed tear gas and water cannons in Tirana to break up demonstrators who hurled stones, broke storefront windows and overturned trash bins to build street barricades. Demonstrators broke into the Ministry of Education building overnight and ignited a blaze inside, Al Jazeera reported. Fires were also set at two banks, including a Raiffeisen Bank branch located near the ministry, according to The Guardian.
Mounting Unrest Across Albania
The unrest marked a sharp escalation in demonstrations that began over grievances in higher education, including university conditions, rising tuition costs and bleak post-graduation job prospects. Organizers said their grievances soon merged with the wider “Flamingo Revolution,” an anti-government campaign that has organized daily rallies against Rama over accusations of corruption and opaque governance, Al Jazeera reported.
The broader movement gained momentum over the summer following controversy surrounding a planned luxury resort on Albania’s southern coast connected to Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of former U.S. President Donald Trump, according to the BBC and ABC News. Critics contend that project illustrates state corruption and official favoritism, allegations that Rama’s administration has faced since he secured a fourth term in office last year.
Local news outlets reported that student demonstrations expanded beyond Tirana on Wednesday to campuses in Elbasan and Shkodër, The Guardian noted.
Disputed Casualties and Arrests
Reports varied regarding the exact number of arrests and casualties resulting from the unrest.
- The Guardian reported that authorities said 23 police officers and six other individuals were treated for injuries, with 35 people detained.
- ABC News reported that police confirmed 23 people were detained overnight, while six officers and one journalist suffered injuries.
- Albania’s state news agency reported 16 people were arrested in connection with violent acts during Tuesday’s unrest, according to the BBC and Al Jazeera.
Economy Minister Delina Ibrahimaj denounced the violence after video surfaced showing rocks being hurled at the finance ministry building. “Setting fire to an institution is not a peaceful protest. It is an act that endanger’s peoples lives,” Ibrahimaj said, as quoted by the BBC.
Deputy Prime Minister Albana Koçiu urged demonstrators to reject vandalism, writing on Facebook that while peaceful protest remains a fundamental right, “it cannot be used as an excuse for violence, city destruction or ugly fighting in the middle of the road.”
President Bajram Begaj called for calm and adherence to the rule of law. In contrast, Sali Berisha, leader of the opposition Democratic Party of Albania, applauded the demonstrators, stating during a Wednesday meeting that the capital had “never seen lions like these students,” the state news agency ATA reported.
International Response
The European Union, which Albania hopes to enter as a member state, urged restraint from both sides. The EU diplomatic delegation in Tirana issued a statement urging a swift probe into accusations regarding excessive police tactics against protesters and media workers, The Guardian reported.
Student activists maintain they will continue rallying until Rama steps down, while police have pledged to prosecute those responsible for arson and assaults on officers. It remains unclear whether the government will offer concessions regarding education costs or if demonstrations will expand further in the coming days.
