In brief
In late October, Albanian students flooded Tirana’s main civic sites, igniting the education ministry’s gate and throwing rocks at the prime minister’s office. Riot police used tear gas and water cannons as crowds swelled. The protests, spurred by demands for university reform and widespread corruption, drew contrasting voices: some leaders urged calm, while opposition figures praised the demonstrators. The violence has led to arrests and a broader debate over the country’s political future.
A wave of student protesters surged into Tirana’s government precincts on Wednesday, setting the education ministry’s gates ablaze and hurling rocks at the prime minister’s office.
Police responded with tear gas and water cannons, forcing many demonstrators to scatter. Sixteen arrests have been reported for acts of violence.
Students claim they are not just fighting for better university conditions but for the entire Albanian populace, stating that corruption has pushed the nation to a breaking point.
Deputy Prime Minister Albana Koçiu has called for calm, warning that “Albania does not need to burn to change”.
Opposition leader Sali Berisha praised the demonstrators, calling them “lions” on the streets of Tirana.
The unrest follows months of the Flamingo Revolution, a broader protest movement demanding Prime Minister Edi Rama resign after a luxury resort project tied to Jared Kushner sparked accusations of bribery and lack of transparency.
