Protests Turn Violent in Tirana: 14 Police Officers Injured, 35 Detained
For a second evening in a row, anti-government protests in Albania's capital Tirana turned violent, with several ministry buildings damaged. Police reported 14 injured officers and 35 people detained.
Violent anti-government protests took place on Wednesday in Tirana, the capital of Albania, targeting the government of Prime Minister Edi Rama. Demonstrators demanded better study conditions at universities and the prime minister's resignation. For the second evening running, the protests escalated into clashes with riot police, and several government buildings were damaged. The European Union, which Albania aims to join, expressed concern over the unrest.
Attacks on government buildings
Over several hours, police used water cannons and tear gas. Protesters threw cobblestones and petrol bombs, burned rubbish bins and built barricades from street barriers. The Ministry of Justice building had its windows smashed and was set on fire; police drove the protesters away and firefighters contained the blaze. At the Ministry of Finance, demonstrators broke windows and forced open doors, and some briefly got inside. They then headed for the prime minister's office and pelted it with stones, prompting police to use a water cannon. A tree near the entrance caught fire but was extinguished.
Journalists from the news agency AFP saw two people climb over the fence of the Ministry of Education and throw flares into the building; thick smoke began pouring from a window, and firefighters put out the flames. Local media reported that protesters also tried to storm a police station and smashed police cars. Several banks were attacked, and the windows of many shops in the city centre were broken.
Toll and reaction
On Wednesday evening police reported 14 injured officers and 35 detained people. On Tuesday, six officers were injured and 16 people detained. Police said that on Tuesday officers were pelted with stones, firecrackers and Molotov cocktails.
Interior Minister Ervin Demo called the students' concerns justified but blamed "the hands of villains" for the violence. The EU called for an investigation into claims that police used excessive force and urged "all sides to reduce tension".
Protests against the government in Albania have lasted more than four months and involve thousands of people. They were originally sparked by a luxury tourism project in the south of the country linked to the family of US President Donald Trump.
