Student protest expands in Albania - prime minister's resignation demanded

Student protests expand in Albania, demanding the resignation of the prime minister

According to DW, intense clashes occurred between protesters and police in Tirana for the third consecutive day on October 15. Protests were also held in Shkodër, Korçë, and coastal cities in the south of the country.

In Tirana, some protesters threw stones, broke shop windows, built barricades, and set garbage cans on fire. Police used water cannons and tear gas against them.

In Shkodër, windows of the city hall building were broken, and offices of the ruling Socialist Party and the opposition Democratic Party were pelted with stones. In Korçë, school building windows were smashed and streets were blocked.

According to the Ministry of Health, 89 people, including 61 police officers, received medical assistance in hospitals on October 14. Police reported that 65 people were detained that day in connection with attacks on officers, government agencies, and property. A day earlier, ten more people were reported detained.

Protest participants are dissatisfied with high tuition fees, poor conditions in universities, and the rising cost of living. On October 15, they demanded the prime minister's resignation by 1:00 PM. The government did not respond to this demand.

Edi Rama released a video showing him inspecting a burned-down office on the Tirana university campus. Expressing doubt that students were behind the destruction, he blamed the opposition for the violence.

Anti-government protests have been held regularly in Albania since the end of May. One of the triggers was a plan to build a luxury hotel in a protected natural coastal area.

According to DW, the project is linked to Donald Trump's daughter Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner. Protesters are also speaking out against a lack of transparency and potential corruption in decision-making regarding the project.