Albanian police fire rubber bullets as protests against Rama intensify | News of the demonstrations

Five days of clashes rock Tirana as students join a broader movement demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama.

Albanian police fired rubber bullets at anti-government protesters in the capital, Tirana, as violent clashes intensify following demands for Prime Minister Edi Rama to resign.

Clashes continued Saturday for a fifth straight day after high school and university students joined a broader movement against Rama, whose ruling center-left Socialist Party has been in power since 2013.

The unrest has brought growing anger over education, unemployment and alleged corruption into a broader confrontation with the government.

Protesters threw stones, Molotov cocktails and fireworks at police near Rama’s office and elsewhere in central Tirana.

Some set cars and trash cans on fire, creating flaming barricades in the streets.

Police responded with tear gas, water cannons and baton charges as protesters pushed against security lines.

The AFP news agency reported that police used rubber bullets for the first time since the protests began.

National police chief Skender Hita confirmed their use at a press conference on Saturday, saying they had been deployed “in a limited way”.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare said nine protesters and four police officers received medical treatment on Saturday.

Hita said 167 people were arrested during the five days of unrest, while 132 police officers were injured.

Seven police officers were also suspended pending investigations into allegations they exceeded their powers.

Rama, who is serving his fourth term and has refused to resign, visited businesses damaged during Saturday’s unrest. He promised to listen to students and protect their right to protest, while warning of further destruction.

He also accused his conservative political opponents of encouraging violence.

Growing discontent

Students complain of high tuition fees, poor educational facilities and limited job opportunities, as well as allegations of government corruption.

At the start of Saturday’s demonstration, demonstrators set fire to a suitcase and threw it into the courtyard of the Ministry of Education. AFP reported that the gesture symbolized their determination not to leave Albania in search of better opportunities.

“We are demanding our rights, our future and a better country,” journalism student Sinan Billa told AFP.

The student protests come on top of months of anti-government rallies organized by the Flamingo movement, which began as a campaign against the development of luxury tourism on Albania’s southern coast.

The project is linked to an investment company founded by Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of US President Donald Trump.

The movement has since broadened its demands to include Rama’s resignation, amid allegations of corruption against his government.

The unrest also spread beyond Tirana. Local media reported that protesters in the coastal town of Durres damaged a post office and blocked roads with burning barricades, extending clashes beyond the capital.