Tirana sees sixth day of violent protests as Albania’s PM refuses to resign
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Violent protests have rocked Albania’s capital Tirana for the sixth consecutive day as Prime Minister Edi Rama, who is serving his fourth term, ruled out resigning.
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Hundreds of protesters gathered again on Sunday in front of the Ministry of Education, chanting “Rama, resign” in a tense standoff with the police, who later used rubber bullets, water cannons and tear gas to hold back the crowds.
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Shops and institutions in the centre of the city have secured their doors and windows with metal shutters, while city workers removed paving stones to prevent their use by protesters.
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Lindita Karadaku, a journalist for Albanian news outlet TV Klan, told Al Jazeera on Sunday that it was difficult to see how the unrest could unfold or how long it could last.
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“Prime Minister Rama is determined and has made it very clear that he will not resign, but also the young people who are protesting are determined and make it clear that they will not give up so easily,” she said. “At this moment, no one is clear what tomorrow will bring.” Rama said during a live social media stream on Sunday that “the government is not being challenged” but implied that ongoing unrest in the country might affect Albania’s path towards European Union membership.
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“Albanians need to think very clearly,” Rama said.
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“Do they want this, or do they want the EU?” Albania is hoping to achieve membership status by 2030. Protesters are demanding better education, more jobs, a stop to alleged ongoing corruption, and Rama’s resignation.
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According to local media reports, demonstrators in Tirana were primarily attacking government institutions and the police, including the Ministry of Education building and the area around Rama’s office.
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The prime minister, who has been in office since 2013, blamed the involvement of a “foreign hand” for the surge in protests and said his government is doing its best to address corruption.
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At the same time, he said that he was ready to listen to the justified demands of students and discuss the costs of education.
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But he insisted that those responsible for the destruction of property must be held accountable.
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In an interview with Al Jazeera, a political analyst from Tirana, Mentor Nazarko, said Rama does not seem to understand “the depth of the problem, has not found solutions and has lost a lot of time”. “His legitimacy has melted away.
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Between him and the citizens there is almost nothing but the police: untrained for protests, poorly paid, with segments that collaborate with crime and corruption,” he said.
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According to a Ministry of Health report issued on Sunday morning, 65 people were injured, of which 37 were police officers, while 12 were hospitalised. Since Tuesday, 272 people have been injured in the clashes, including 169 police officers, the ministry said.
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Discontent in Albania has been growing for months. The first protests in the country this year were called the “Flamingo Revolution” and began in May.
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Demonstrators rebelled against the controversial project of a luxury tourist complex in the south of Albania, affiliated with Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of US President Donald Trump.
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