Tear gas and water cannons were used by police in new clashes with demonstrators in Tirana. The protests continued for a third day in a row, with participants throwing stones, firecrackers and other objects at police cordons. Trash cans, kiosks and advertising equipment were set on fire in the center of the Albanian capital.
The tension spread to several central streets, including the “Deşmört e Kombit“ boulevard. Damage was reported to shops, banks, ATMs, cameras, cars and fences. Police cordoned off government buildings, including the prime minister's office, as groups of demonstrators moved through the city and set fire to objects.
Various figures for those arrested and injured
Albanian police said 55 people had been arrested since the protests on October 14, and criminal proceedings had been opened against 98 others. The same report said 51 police officers had been injured. Earlier information, cited by the Associated Press, indicated 35 arrested and 23 injured officers. The difference is between the initial and subsequent figures from the authorities.
Police say protesters threw stones, metal objects, firecrackers and Molotov cocktails at employees, public buildings and private properties. According to authorities, facades, ATMs, traffic lights, road signs and cars were damaged. In a separate incident, a police car was set on fire near a police station, police said.
The Journalists' Association of Albania reported at least 10 incidents involving journalists, cameramen and media crews during the protests on 13 and 14 October. The organisation said a stun grenade was used in an area where cameramen and photographers were present. Reuters also described audible grenade explosions during the clashes, without officially identifying who used them.
Student demands and wider anti-government movement
The demonstrations began as a student mobilisation over the state and cost of higher education, insufficient financial support and limited job opportunities after graduation. The students later joined the Flamingo movement, which is demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama and accusing the government of corruption. Rama denies the charges.
The movement is also opposed to a large-scale tourism project on Albania's southern coast linked to an investment company founded by Jared Kushner. It takes its name from the flamingos that inhabit a protected natural area and have become a symbol of the protests.
National Police Chief Skender Hita said officers must act "with professionalism and restraint." "The right to peaceful protest and assembly is guaranteed, but it cannot serve as a cover for violence, arson and vandalism," he said. President Bajram Begaj also called for calm, and the European Union delegation to Albania demanded that the authorities' response be proportionate.
Sources: apnews.com, marketscreener.com, rtsh.al