Albanian Students Spark Violence in Tirana
For the fifth consecutive day, masked students and other demonstrators launched a violent assault on riot police in Tirana, the Albanian capital. They hurled rocks, petrol bombs and fireworks at officers, while police responded with water cannons, tear gas and— for the first time—rubber bullets.
The protests began in early June, escalating from sporadic campus actions to an anti‑government movement demanding Prime Minister Edi Rama’s resignation amid corruption allegations. Thousands actively defended the education ministry and later converged on the prime minister’s office on the main boulevard, where clashes intensified and officers were forced to deploy special forces.
Eyewitness accounts describe smoke from burning vehicles, sirens, shattered glass and burnt debris littering the city centre. Many participants wore gas masks and were rescued with saline eye wash, while a 19‑year‑old medical student named George spoke of a growing "revolution" against a government that refused to reconcile.
Rama, who has ruled for 13 years and enjoys backing from the EU, has blamed opposition politicians and unknown foreign actors for the unrest, threatening to withdraw his administration. In the meantime, investigations into high‑profile corruption have linked him to alleged illicit dealings with businessman Ergys Agasi and triggered the arrest of the former secret‑service chief.
