Part of Albania's Supreme Court building set on fire during protests
Violent protests against Prime Minister Edi Rama entered a sixth day in Tirana, Albania's capital, and part of the Supreme Court building caught fire. Rama said he does not intend to resign.
Protests against the government of Prime Minister Edi Rama continued for a sixth day on Sunday in Tirana, the capital of Albania. During the unrest, flames engulfed part of the Supreme Court building. The demonstrations began on Tuesday and involve thousands of people, including students. The events matter because prolonged unrest may affect the country's path toward European Union membership.
Clashes with police
Hundreds of demonstrators gathered outside the Ministry of Education, chanting "Rama, resign!". In central Tirana, shops and institutions were closed, with windows protected by metal shutters, while city workers removed paving stones so they could not be used in clashes. Protesters threw stones, fireworks and petrol bombs. Police tried to disperse the crowd with tear gas, water cannon and rubber bullets.
According to the Albanian Health Ministry's Sunday morning report, 65 people were recently injured, including 37 police officers, and 12 were taken to hospital. Since the protests began, 272 people have been injured, 169 of them police officers.
Demands and the prime minister's response
Students are demanding better conditions at universities and lower tuition fees. Protesters also call for more jobs, an end to corruption and Rama's resignation.
Rama, in office since 2013 and serving his fourth term, said on Sunday that he will not step down. In a live broadcast on social media he said the government is not being overthrown, but warned that the unrest could affect Albania's path to the EU, which the country hopes to join by 2030. He blamed a "foreign hand" for the growth of the protests, claimed the government is doing everything possible to tackle corruption, and said he is ready to hear students' legitimate demands and discuss education costs. He added that those responsible for destroying property must be punished.
Lindita Karadaku, a journalist with Albanian broadcaster TV Klan, said the outcome remains unclear, as both the prime minister and the young protesters are determined.
Roots of the discontent
Discontent has been building since May, when the year's first demonstrations, dubbed the "Flamingo Revolution", began. They were sparked by disputes over a luxury tourism resort planned in southern Albania, linked to the family of US President Donald Trump and his son-in-law Jared Kushner.
