Albania Protests Enter Seventh Day as Violent Clashes With Police Rock Tirana
File photo: protest in Tirana, Albania.
Anti-government protests in Albania have entered their seventh straight day of violent clashes between demonstrators and riot police in the capital, Tirana. The protesters — mostly high school and university students — are demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama, who has been in power for 13 years. Official figures say 295 people had been injured before Monday's violence, including 186 police officers, as a police station and government buildings came under attack.
The unrest is driven by anger over corruption, poor university conditions, high tuition fees and a lack of jobs for young people. Protesters hurled stones, fireworks and petrol bombs while police answered with tear gas and water cannons, and demonstrations have spread beyond Tirana to cities like Shkodër, Vlorë and Elbasan.
Rama has refused to step down, offering dialogue "without preconditions" but ruling out talks with anyone involved in violence. "The moment the state negotiates with this," he told police chiefs, brandishing a rock thrown at officers, "the state has fallen." He has promised to deliver EU membership by 2030, insisting he is the only one who can do it.
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