152 people arrested in Tirana over three days of protests — Deutsche Welle
In Tirana, the capital of Albania, students are boycotting classes and demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama. Over three days of protests, which escalated into clashes, 152 people were arrested and another 324 are under investigation, Deutsche Welle reports.
During the clashes, garbage containers, business premises, buildings and banks were set on fire. Tear gas filled the air. There are reports of injuries among protesters and law enforcement officers; police said that 71 officers were injured.
Students’ demands
Participants in the protests say they are dissatisfied with conditions at universities, the cost of higher education and poor employment prospects after graduation. They describe the government’s resignation as their main demand and refuse to discuss other points with the prime minister.
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The protests are part of a broader anti-government movement known as the “Flamingo Revolution.” It began at the end of May in response to a multimillion-dollar tourism project linked to Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of US President Donald Trump, in the protected coastal area of Zvërnec.
Response of the authorities and opposition
After two days of silence, Rama delivered a video address from the fire-damaged building of the College of Europe near his office. He accused the opposition of trying to use masked people to return Albania to the past and rejected the demand for his resignation, noting that governments are changed in elections.
The following day, the prime minister also spoke of “foreign hands” which, he said, seek to prevent Albania from joining the European Union. The leader of the opposition Democratic Party and former prime minister, Sali Berisha, rejected Rama’s claims of the opposition’s involvement in the violence and supported the protesters’ demand for the head of government to resign. Brussels called on all sides for calm, restraint and dialogue.
