Albanian police deploy rubber bullets as anti‑Rama protests intensify
Police in Albania have resorted to firing rubber bullets at demonstrators in Tirana as clashes over Prime Minister Edi Rama’s government grow more violent. The confrontations, now in their fifth day, have drawn high‑school and university students into a broader movement that has been demanding Rama’s resignation since his centre‑left Socialist Party took power in 2013.
Protesters have hurled stones, petrol bombs and fireworks at police near the prime minister’s office and other central locations. Some have set cars and trash bins ablaze, creating burning barricades across the streets. In response, officers have used tear gas, water cannons and baton charges to push back the crowds. The AFP news agency noted that rubber bullets were employed for the first time since the demonstrations began, a fact confirmed by national police chief Skender Hita at a Saturday press conference, where he said the ammunition was used “in a limited manner”.
The Ministry of Health and Social Welfare reported that nine protesters and four police officers required medical treatment on Saturday. Hita said 167 people had been arrested over the five‑day unrest and that 132 officers had been injured. Seven officers were suspended while investigations continue into allegations that they exceeded their authority.
Rama, now serving his fourth term and refusing to step down, visited businesses that had been damaged during the unrest. He pledged to listen to students and protect their right to demonstrate, while warning against further destruction. He also accused his conservative opponents of stoking the violence.
Students have voiced grievances over high university fees, inadequate facilities, scarce job prospects and alleged corruption within the government. At the start of Saturday’s rally, demonstrators ignited a suitcase and tossed it into the courtyard of the Ministry of Education, a gesture AFP said symbolised their resolve not to leave Albania in search of better opportunities. “We are demanding our rights, our future and a better country,” said journalism student Sinan Billa.
The student protests add to months of anti‑government rallies organized by the Flamingo movement, which originally opposed a luxury tourism development on Albania’s southern coast linked to an investment firm founded by Jared Kushner, the son‑in‑law of former U.S. President Donald Trump. The movement has since broadened its demands to include Rama’s resignation amid corruption accusations.
Unrest has also spilled beyond the capital. Local reports from the coastal city of Durres indicated that protesters damaged a post office and blocked roads with burning barricades, extending the confrontations to other parts of the country.