Parliament clash

Opposition deputies and Socialist lawmakers scuffled in the Albanian parliament on Thursday, 22 October, during the first plenary session since the student protests began ten days earlier. According to La Vanguardia, Democratic Party deputies massed at the podium of the speaker, Niko Peleshi, and demanded a debate on the unrest and on Prime Minister Edi Rama's responsibility for police repression. Peleshi went ahead with votes on other items, which set off the confrontation. Deputies knocked over chairs, struck seats, seized voting cards from Socialist lawmakers and tried to push past parliament security staff. A water bottle was thrown towards the speaker, and opposition members held up photographs of the face and injuries of a protester they said had been beaten by police. Rama was on a trip abroad at the time. Several hundred protesters gathered outside during the session, but no clashes were reported there.

Roots of the movement

The demonstrations are led by high school and university students, with support from teachers and professors, who demand better education funding and the resignation of Edi Rama, in power since 2013. They accuse the government of corruption, and the protest has grown into a wider campaign against the government and the opposition Democratic Party. Students at several public universities have boycotted classes since early this week, backed by their professors. The movement traces back to late May, when protests began against a luxury tourism project on the Adriatic coast linked to Jared Kushner, son-in-law of US President Donald Trump. Protests in Tirana on Wednesday, 21 October, marked the ninth consecutive day of demonstrations, with students, teachers and other citizens taking part.

Casualties and arrests

The Ministry of Health said about 320 people, including 192 police officers, had been injured since 13 October. Romanian media reports say dozens of protesters have been arrested. Government and judicial buildings have been set on fire, and bank branches and shops in central Tirana were wrecked, with clashes spreading to other cities. On Wednesday, 21 October, police said two people had been detained over explosives placed on a local official's vehicle in the Vlorë area. That blast occurred on 19 October in Llakatund, causing material damage but no injuries.

Political reactions

Sali Berisha, leader of the opposition and of the Democratic Party, said in a statement that opposition deputies had decided to voice the students' demands. He argued that parliament could not continue and lacked legitimacy. Socialist deputy Pirro Vengu accused the opposition of trying to use the unrest to return to power. Rama has rejected calls to resign, according to La Vanguardia.

Timeline and next steps

The timeline below marks the main dates in the crisis, from the start of the movement in May to the call for a national rally. Student organisers have called for a national rally on Saturday, 24 October, the next step in the campaign.