Clashes spread through central Tirana

Saturday, 17 October, was the fifth consecutive day of protests against Prime Minister Edi Rama's government in Albania's capital. Early in the day, several hundred young people gathered outside the Ministry of Education, where a national flag was raised and a suitcase was set alight and thrown into the courtyard as a symbol of emigration. That calm lasted about an hour. Masked demonstrators then threw stones, paving slabs and molotov cocktails at riot police, who responded with water cannon, tear gas and rubber bullets. The fighting spread to nearby streets and by evening moved onto the central boulevard, where crowds near the prime minister's office were far larger than on previous days.

Damage to public buildings

Molotov cocktails struck one of the two seats of the Bank of Albania in the city centre, and its entrance caught fire, according to ANSA. The Supreme Court building was also hit, with flames reaching its ground-floor offices, while a credit institution about 300 metres away also burned. Deutsche Welle reported that a fire started at the entrance of a former Hotel Dajti, where Bank of Albania offices are located, and that a fire in a business next to the Supreme Court building later spread into several court offices. A car with French number plates was set alight, according to ANSA, and Bloomberg reported a car burning near the prime minister's office.

Injuries, arrests and charges

The figures differ by source and by time of measurement. Deutsche Welle reported 21 police officers and 13 protesters injured, based on data available that evening, and said one police officer was caught in a fire. Police chief Skender Hita told a news conference that 132 officers had been injured over five days, while the Ministry of Health said nine protesters and four officers received medical treatment on Saturday. An AFP journalist counted three people treated for head, eye and leg injuries.

Police officers injured21

Protesters injured13

Police officers injured

21 people

Protesters injured

13 people

Data from the article text

Hita said 167 people had been arrested over the five days of unrest and that seven officers had been suspended pending investigations into allegations that they exceeded their authority. Tgcom24 reported more than 200 arrests, a figure that does not match the police count. The BBC reported that 80 people had been charged with disorder so far, with hundreds more arrested or under investigation.

Students and the government's response

Protesters have complained about expensive university fees, poor study facilities and limited job prospects, alongside alleged government corruption. A 19-year-old medical student who works as an electrician told the BBC that the protest had been peaceful for 135 days and that protesters were now trying to make a revolution. Journalism student Sinan Billa put the demands plainly to AFP.

“We are demanding our rights, our future and a better country.”

Rama, who is serving his fourth term, has refused to resign. On Saturday he visited businesses damaged in the unrest, promised to listen to students and protect their right to demonstrate, and warned against further destruction. He also accused his conservative political opponents of encouraging the violence. Sali Berisha, chairman of the Democratic Party, called on opposition supporters and citizens across the country to practise civil disobedience, according to Deutsche Welle.

How the protests developed

The BBC dates the start of the protests to early June, and says they have grown into a wider anti-government movement with calls for the prime minister to resign over corruption allegations linked to his administration. Al Jazeera notes that the Socialist Party has held power since 2013 and that high school and university students joined the movement.

As dusk fell on Saturday, police special forces arrived to reinforce the riot police, according to the BBC.