Albania protests enter third day as Tirana clashes continue and Rama refuses to resign
Protesters and police clashed in Tirana for a third day on Thursday, 15 October, as Prime Minister Edi Rama rejected calls to resign and blamed the opposition for the violence.
Third day of clashes in Tirana
Protesters and police clashed in Tirana on Thursday, 15 October, for the third day in a row, and the unrest spread to several other Albanian cities. Demonstrators threw stones, built barricades, set fire to a mobile kiosk near the Pyramid landmark, close to the prime minister's office, and forced their way into a bank. Police answered with tear gas, water cannon and stun grenades. Kathimerini reported that officers struck fleeing protesters with batons in Skanderbeg Square, in front of tourists. Parliament cancelled its scheduled session after lawmakers left a building surrounded by police. The confrontations began on Tuesday and Wednesday, when clashes lasted for hours as protesters tried to enter government buildings and at least one was set on fire.
- Hours-long clashes in Tirana as protesters try to enter government buildings
- Police say 65 people were arrested over Wednesday's protests
- Protests spread to Shkodër and Durrës, and parliament cancels its session
Rama rejects calls to resign
Prime Minister Edi Rama has refused to step down despite a protesters' ultimatum to leave office by 13:00 local time. His answer was blunt:
I will not resign. Governments change through elections.
In a written statement to Reuters, Rama said his responsibility was to listen to legitimate concerns and keep Albania moving forward, and he called the alternative a betrayal of Albanians who gave him a strong mandate to complete EU accession talks. He said corruption must be tackled and that the country was doing more about it than ever. Opposition Democratic Party leader Sali Berisha threatened him, telling him he had to choose between the fates of Nicolae Ceausescu and Ramiz Alia. Rama's government rejects the corruption accusations.
Damage to cultural sites and arrests
Attacks hit ministries, museums, theatres, libraries and businesses in Tirana. Culture minister Blendi Gonxhja said the outdoor areas of the National Museum, the Puppet Theatre, the National Historical Museum and the National Library had been damaged. In Durrës, works and facilities from an art biennale were destroyed, and the outer area of the Et'hem Bey Mosque, a listed cultural monument, was damaged. Local media reported that in Shkodër protesters broke the windows of city hall and threw stones at the seat of the ruling party. Police said 65 people were arrested for attacks on officers, institutions and public and private property during Wednesday's protests. By Thursday afternoon, 71 police officers were reported injured, up from 51 in an earlier count, which also reported 50 injured protesters.
Students and the 'flamingo movement'
The protests began with student organisations demanding education reform, including lower tuition fees and better university conditions. Students were then joined by the so-called 'flamingo movement', named after placards showing pink flamingos, which demands Rama's resignation and objects to a luxury tourism complex on the southern coast. The project is linked to a company founded by Jared Kushner, son-in-law of US President Donald Trump. A student who gave her name as Kiara said finding work depends on knowing the right people. A lawyer taking part in the protests called the government corrupt. High-school pupils joined the marches, and pupils in major cities stayed away from classes on Thursday to gather in squares.
Official reactions
President Bajram Begaj, in a video message, expressed regret over the violence and appealed for calm:
I call on everyone to choose consensus, avoid violence and not allow tensions to undermine the constitutional order and stability of the country.
Parliament speaker Niko Peleshi asked for restraint. In a social media post from the damaged College of Europe building, Rama accused the opposition of trying to block Albania's EU path through violence and destruction, and he warned:
Those involved in this chaos will certainly pay.
One of the main organisers wrote online that protesters would be in the square every day.
