Anti-government protesters battle with police in Albania
There were violent clashes between demonstrators and riot police throughout Saturday in the capital Tirana.
Protesters clashed with police for a fifth consecutive day in Tirana, Albania's capital, on Saturday. Masked youths, mostly students, hurled rocks and petrol bombs at riot police protecting the education ministry. The police responded with water cannons, tear gas, and reportedly, rubber bullets. This escalation marks the ongoing anti-government movement, fueled by corruption allegations against Prime Minister Edi Rama's administration.
Students wore gas masks, and volunteers distributed saline eyewash. The protests, which began in June, have grown more intense, with calls for Rama's resignation. Many protesters, including 19-year-old medical student George, expressed their determination to make a revolution, criticizing the government for wanting peace. Socialist Party Prime Minister Edi Rama, in power for 13 years, has been urged to organize a neutral caretaker government for a year to hold new elections by prominent journalist Osman Stafa.
Rama has accused the opposition Democratic Party and foreign actors of stirring unrest, aiming to halt Albania's EU membership aspirations. The protests have injured both protesters and police, with 80 people charged and hundreds arrested or under investigation. The investigations by the special prosecution service, including the arrest of secret service chief Vlora Hyseni, also threaten Rama's rule.
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