Albania protests against PM Rama escalate for a fifth day

· Politics · Albania

Albanian police fired tear gas, water cannon and what appeared to be rubber bullets at protesters in Tirana on Saturday, the fifth consecutive day of mass demonstrations demanding Prime Minister Edi Rama step down. Hundreds of protesters, including students, clashed with riot police outside the Education Ministry and elsewhere in the capital, and demonstrators accused police of brutality. The movement has widened from student grievances into a broader challenge to Rama's rule, drawing in a young lawmaker the prime minister had once hand-picked for parliament, who now says she wants a new future for the country.

Why it matters：A sustained youth-led protest movement in a NATO and EU-candidate country tests how far ruling parties can contain demands for accountability and renewal.

Key points

  • Police used tear gas, water cannon and apparent rubber bullets in Tirana.
  • Students joined the movement outside the Education Ministry.
  • A young lawmaker once hand-picked by Rama has joined calls for change.

Sources (original reporting)

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