Clashes grip Tirana as Albanian PM blames ‘foreign hands’

Tirana, the Albanian capital, witnessed violent protests for a fourth consecutive day on Friday, as Prime Minister Edi Rama accused unnamed foreign entities of instigating the unrest. Riot police responded with tear gas and water cannons, while protesters retaliated by throwing stones, burning garbage bins, and blocking roads across the city. The clashes persisted into the night, causing injuries to both demonstrators and law enforcement.

Protesters demanded that Rama resign due to poor university conditions and exorbitant tuition fees, with one 18-year-old student, Ledia, expressing her grievances in an interview with AFP. The government's insensitivity and arrogance, she claimed, had exacerbated the situation. Shops were looted, government buildings such as the finance ministry were targeted, and over 160 people were detained for acts of violence on Thursday.

Interior Minister Ervin Demo reported that 156 individuals, including 97 police officers, had been injured in the recent days of unrest. In a statement, Demo urged the public to unite for the country's well-being rather than engaging in clashes. He warned that the unrest was an attempt by those seeking to seize power through violence, linking the protests to foreign interference aimed at disrupting Albania's path to European Union membership.

Rama, in a Facebook video, accused unnamed foreign entities of fueling the unrest and hindering Albania's EU aspirations, without offering concrete evidence.