Government · Tirana
Tirana protests turn violent as students demand PM Edi Rama's resignation
On Saturday, 31 October, hooded protesters threw stones and molotov cocktails at police in Tirana, who answered with water cannon and tear gas. The clashes followed a student rally demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama.
AI text based on reports by Tgcom24, Il Fatto Quotidiano, Rai news and other publishers. Published . How it is made
For membersThe first 30 seconds for everyone. Synthetic voice (AI).
In brief
Several dozen hooded protesters set rubbish bins alight and threw paving stones at police outside the education ministry on Saturday, 31 October. The clashes lasted about 30 minutes before the crowd, thinned by heavy rain, moved toward the government palace.
Interior Minister Ervin Demo said about 350 people have been injured since the protests began, including approximately 200 police officers and about 40 passersby.
The government introduced fines of up to 5,500 euros for protesters responsible for violence. A separate measure sets fines of up to 500,000 lek, about 6,200 dollars, for people who join violent protests without committing violence themselves.
Sali Berisha's centre-right opposition tried to join the student rally but was rejected, and students formed a cordon to keep its militants back.
- Rally startSeveral hundred protesters gather peacefully outside the education ministry
- Clashes beginHooded protesters set rubbish bins alight and throw paving stones at police
- Police responsePolice use water cannon and tear gas, and clashes last about 30 minutes
- Crowd withdrawsHeavy rain thins the crowd, which moves toward the government palace
Clashes outside the education ministry
On Saturday, 31 October, students gathered outside the education ministry in Tirana to demand the resignation of Socialist Prime Minister Edi Rama. The crowd began calmly, with several hundred protesters chanting 'Rama, resign!' and 'There is no Albania without youth'. Several dozen hooded protesters then took the lead, setting rubbish bins alight and throwing paving stones at police, followed by molotov cocktails. Numerous riot officers were deployed near the ministry, and police answered with water cannon and tear gas. The clashes lasted about 30 minutes. Heavy rain thinned the crowd, which then moved toward the government palace.
A movement built since May
The protests began in May against a controversial tourism property project on the Albanian coast, which benefits relatives of US President Donald Trump. The project is a luxury hotel development in a protected nature reserve, linked to Trump's daughter Ivanka and his son-in-law Jared Kushner. Students have demanded Rama's resignation since he backed the resort's construction, and their anger has since widened to alleged corruption. Since mid-October the protests have become a wave of frequent and often violent rallies. Students also cite shortcomings in the health system and a lack of prospects for young people, and the movement has no recognised leader. The Socialist government has been in office since 2013.
Opposition and new penalties
Sali Berisha's centre-right opposition tried to join the student rally but was turned away. The students formed a cordon to block the opposition's militants, declaring that the opposition was them. On Wednesday, 28 October, the government hardened its stance, introducing fines of up to 5,500 euros for protesters responsible for violence. A further measure sets fines of up to 500,000 lek, about 6,200 dollars, for people who take part in violent protests without committing violence themselves. Several public buildings, including ministry offices and courts, along with numerous shops, have been set on fire or damaged during the protests.
Injuries and arrests
Interior Minister Ervin Demo said about 350 people have been injured since the protests began, including approximately 200 police officers and about 40 passersby. Other figures put the number of injured protesters at about 100, and the count covers the whole period since the protests started, not only Saturday. In addition, 269 minors have been arrested.
- Police officers
- 200 people
- Protesters
- 100 people
- Passersby
- 40 people
Data from the article text
Ask about this text
Sources and context
- Tgcom24Albania, protests rise up: throwing of objects and molotovs against the authoritiesAlbania, insorgono le proteste: lancio di oggetti e molotov contro le autorità · original in Italian
- Il Fatto QuotidianoAlbania protests against Rama: molotovs, water cannons and tear gas in TiranaProteste Albania contro Rama: molotov, idranti e lacrimogeni a Tirana · original in Italian
- Rai newsAlbania, new protests against the Rama government: molotovs and clashes with the policeAlbania, nuove proteste contro il governo Rama: molotov e scontri con la polizia · original in Italian
- lastampa.itViolent protests in Tirana, students demand the resignation of PM RamaViolente proteste a Tirana, gli studenti chiedono le dimissioni del premier Rama · original in Italian
- Edi Rama
- Socialist Prime Minister of Albania whose resignation the student protesters demand
- Sali Berisha
- Leader of the centre-right opposition, which tried to join the student rally
- Donald Trump
- US president whose relatives are linked to the Albanian resort project that sparked the protests
- Jared Kushner
- Son-in-law of Donald Trump, linked to the luxury hotel project in a protected nature reserve
- Ivanka Trump
- Daughter of Donald Trump, linked to the luxury hotel project in a protected nature reserve
Pollar is free and carries no ads in the text. Its members keep it going.
Support Pollar