Fourth day of clashes in Tirana as PM blames "foreign hands"

Protesters and police clashed in Albania's capital, Tirana, for a fourth consecutive day on Friday, 16 October. Demonstrators are demanding that Prime Minister Edi Rama, a Socialist, step down, while he blames "foreign hands" for the unrest. The violence, which began on Tuesday, marks a significant escalation of months of anti-government protests in the Balkan country.

The clashes

Police used tear gas and water cannons, while protesters threw stones at security forces and burned garbage bins to block roads. Fighting continued into the night in several parts of the city. AFP journalists reported that on Friday demonstrators tried to force their way into government offices on the main boulevard.

Shopfronts have been smashed and several state buildings attacked, including the finance ministry. According to police, 160 people were detained on Thursday for violent acts. An AFP journalist saw masked groups smashing and looting stores.

Interior Minister Ervin Demo said 156 people have been injured since Tuesday, including 97 police officers. He also said excessive use of force had been recorded in two instances and two officers had been suspended. He described the unrest as a disguised attempt to seize power through violence.

What drives the protests

The Tirana protests began with hundreds of people gathering outside the education ministry, chanting "Rama resign!". Demonstrators cite university conditions and high tuition fees. Media reported that protests have spread to other cities, with smaller-scale violence and student boycotts of universities.

Eighteen-year-old high school student Ledia told AFP that young people want a better life for themselves and their parents and do not want to leave Albania. She criticised the government's indifference and arrogance.

The wider months-long anti-government movement was initially sparked, according to the source, by a controversial resort development linked to the family of US President Donald Trump.

Rama's response

Rama said the protests have nothing to do with people's legitimate aspirations for a better life. In a Facebook video he accused unnamed "foreign hands" of fuelling the unrest and trying to hamper Albania's bid to join the European Union. Rama has repeatedly dismissed protesters' concerns as manipulation by foreign interests, without providing details or evidence.