Albanian opposition MPs light flares in parliament as student protests against Rama continue

Parliament session disrupted

Opposition Democratic Party lawmakers lit smoke flares and blocked access to the rostrum of the Albanian parliament on Thursday, 29 October 2026, while a vote on a law concerning the Central Bank was under way. Party leader Sali Berisha, speaking from the rostrum, called the governing majority's lawmakers criminals and said they deserved tear gas, rubber bullets and broken bones rather than young people. His microphone was then cut off. Other opposition members gathered around him holding photographs of protesters wounded by plastic bullets, and some raised blue flares in the party's colour.

Student-led protests

The protests began in central Tirana in mid-October 2026 and are led by students who want Rama to resign. They point to alleged government corruption, a lack of jobs and weak standards in education as the causes of their anger. The demonstrations have since spread to other cities in the country. According to the reports, demonstrators set fire to government buildings and banks, smashed shop windows and pried up paving stones to throw at police.

Summer protests and the Kushner project

The current unrest follows months of largely peaceful summer demonstrations against a luxury coastal development backed by Jared Kushner, son-in-law of US President Donald Trump. Rama has governed since 2013 and won a fourth term in 2025. Reports describe the current wave as the most serious challenge of his time in office. The shift from mostly peaceful summer rallies to street clashes is central to how the government is now framing the crisis.

Government response

On Sunday, 25 October 2026, Rama announced measures to curb violence. Anyone taking part in a demonstration that turns violent faces a fine of 500,000 lek, even if that person did not commit any violent act. Reports converted the fine differently, citing about 5,500 euros in one case and 6,200 dollars in others. Rama again called on students to enter a dialogue and announced economic steps, including cheaper fuel and more financial aid for poorer families, in an effort to stop the violence on the streets. The demonstrations in the days before Thursday were mostly peaceful.

What comes next

A new demonstration has been scheduled for 31 October 2026. The opposition's disruption of parliament took place during a parliamentary vote, which means the Central Bank law was being debated while the rostrum was blocked. The sequence of events from the mid-October start of protests to the new measures and the planned rally is set out in the timeline above. Whether the government's fines and aid package will calm the streets, or whether the students' demand for Rama's resignation will hold, is not yet clear from the reporting.