Albania's protests enter sixth day as students demand PM Edi Rama's resignation
Police fired rubber bullets, tear gas and water cannon in Tirana. 272 people have been injured since Tuesday, most of them police officers.
At a glance
- Protests in Tirana reached their sixth consecutive day on Sunday, October 18.
- Demonstrators, mostly students, want better education, more jobs, an end to corruption and Edi Rama's resignation.
- 65 people were injured on Sunday alone; 272 since Tuesday, including 169 police officers.
- Rama, in power since 2013, refuses to quit and blames a 'foreign hand'.
Albania's capital has been gripped by a sixth straight day of violent protests, with demonstrators vowing not to back down until Prime Minister Edi Rama resigns.
Clashes outside the Education Ministry
On Sunday, October 18, hundreds gathered outside the Ministry of Education in Tirana. Police used rubber bullets, water cannon and tear gas, while protesters threw fireworks, a Molotov cocktail and tear gas canisters back. Demonstrators targeted government buildings and the area around Rama's office. Shops in the centre shuttered their windows, and city workers removed loose paving stones.
A Health Ministry report said 65 people were injured on Sunday morning, including 37 police officers, and 12 were taken to hospital. Since the protests began on Tuesday, 272 people have been hurt, 169 of them police.
What protesters want
Most demonstrators are students and young people. They are calling for better education and lower costs, more jobs, an end to alleged corruption, and Rama's resignation. Anger has been building for months: an earlier wave this year, dubbed the "Flamingo Revolution", began in May against a luxury tourism complex in southern Albania linked to Jared Kushner.
Rama digs in
Rama, who has led the government since 2013 and is in his fourth term, has refused to step down. He blamed a "foreign hand" for the unrest, said his government is tackling corruption and would hear students' legitimate demands on education costs, and insisted those responsible for damage be held accountable. He also warned the turmoil could affect Albania's goal of joining the European Union by 2030.
The protests coincide with a broader wave of youth and cost-of-living unrest across Europe, including France, Belgium, Portugal and Italy.
Questions people are asking
Why are people protesting in Albania?
Mainly students and young people are demanding better and cheaper education, more jobs and an end to alleged corruption, as well as the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama.
Who is Albania's prime minister?
Edi Rama, who has led the government since 2013 and is serving his fourth term.
How we verified this story
GlobeHourly wrote this report in its own words after checking the facts against 3 independent sources: official statements, wire agencies and established news outlets. Read our standards.
