Tirana endures sixth day of violent protests as Albania’s prime minister refuses to step down
Violent demonstrations have continued in Albania’s capital for a sixth straight day, with Prime Minister Edi Rama – now in his fourth term – insisting he will not resign. On Sunday, hundreds of protesters gathered again outside the Ministry of Education, chanting “Rama, resign” as police responded with rubber bullets, water cannons and tear gas to keep the crowds back.
Shops and public buildings in the city centre have boarded up doors and windows with metal shutters, while municipal workers have removed paving stones to prevent them from being used as projectiles.
Lindita Karadaku, a journalist for TV Klan, told Al Jazeera that the scale and duration of the unrest are hard to predict. “Prime Minister Rama is determined and has made it very clear that he will not resign, but also the young people who are protesting are determined and make it clear that they will not give up so easily,” she said. “At this moment, no one is clear what tomorrow will bring.”
During a live social‑media broadcast on Sunday, Rama claimed that “the government is not being challenged” but warned that the ongoing turmoil could jeopardise Albania’s progress toward European Union membership. “Albanians need to think very clearly,” he said. “Do they want this, or do they want the EU?” Albania aims to obtain EU membership status by 2030.
Protesters are demanding improvements in education, more employment opportunities, an end to what they describe as persistent corruption, and Rama’s resignation. According to local reports, demonstrators have focused their actions on government buildings and police forces, targeting the Ministry of Education and the area surrounding Rama’s office.
Rama has attributed the surge in protests to a “foreign hand” and said his administration is working to combat corruption. He added that he is ready to listen to legitimate student demands and discuss education costs, but stressed that those responsible for property damage must be held accountable.
Mentor Nazarko, a political analyst based in Tirana, told Al Jazeera that Rama appears unaware of the depth of the crisis, has failed to find solutions and has wasted valuable time. “His legitimacy has melted away. Between him and the citizens there is almost nothing but the police: untrained for protests, poorly paid, with segments that collaborate with crime and corruption,” he said.
A Ministry of Health report released on Sunday said 65 people had been injured in the latest clashes, including 37 police officers, and 12 of the injured required hospitalization. Since Tuesday, the total number of injured rises to 272, with 169 of them being police personnel.
Discontent in Albania has been building for months. The first protests of the year, dubbed the “Flamingo Revolution,” began in May and were sparked by opposition to a controversial luxury tourist complex in the south of the country, a project linked to Jared Kushner, the son‑in‑law of former U.S. President Donald Trump.