Violent protests have shaken the Albanian capital, Tirana, for six days in a row, as Prime Minister Edi Rama, who is serving his fourth term, has made clear he will not step down. On Sunday, hundreds of demonstrators returned to the front of the Ministry of Education, chanting “Rama, resign” in a tense confrontation with police.
Officers later used rubber bullets, water cannons and tear gas to push the crowds back. The unrest has left the city centre on edge.
Shopkeepers barricade the centre as unrest continues
Shops and institutions in the heart of the city have fitted their doors and windows with metal shutters to guard against damage. City workers have also pulled up paving stones, so protesters cannot use them as missiles.
Lindita Karadaku, a journalist with the Albanian broadcaster TV Klan, told on Sunday that it was hard to predict how the unrest would develop or how long it might last. She said Rama was determined not to resign, while young protesters were equally resolute. “At this moment, no one is clear what tomorrow will bring,” she said.
Rama links the protests to EU membership hopes
During a live social media broadcast on Sunday, Rama said that “the government is not being challenged”. He also suggested that the continuing unrest could affect Albania’s progress towards European Union membership, which the country hopes to secure by 2030.
“Albanians need to think very clearly,” Rama said. “Do they want this, or do they want the EU?”
The prime minister, who has been in office since 2013, blamed a “foreign hand” for the rise in protests. He said his government was doing its best to tackle corruption, and that he was ready to hear the justified demands of students and discuss the cost of education. He insisted, however, that those responsible for damaging property must be held accountable.
Injury figures rise as protesters press their demands
A Ministry of Health report issued on Sunday morning said 65 people had been injured, 37 of them police officers, and 12 had been taken to hospital. The ministry said that since Tuesday, 272 people had been hurt in the clashes, including 169 police officers.
Local media reports said demonstrators in Tirana were mainly targeting government buildings and police, including the Ministry of Education and the area around Rama’s office. The protesters’ demands include:
- Better education
- More jobs
- An end to alleged ongoing corruption
- Rama’s resignation
Discontent has been building in Albania for months. The first protests of the year, dubbed the “Flamingo Revolution”, began in May, when demonstrators objected to a controversial luxury tourist complex in southern Albania. The project is linked to Jared Kushner, son-in-law of US President Donald Trump.
