Albania protests turn violent for sixth day as Prime Minister Rama refuses to resign

• Albanian police used water cannon and tear gas as anti-government demonstrations entered a sixth day, with protesters demanding Prime Minister Edi Rama’s resignation.

• The Health Ministry said 28 people were injured on Sunday, taking the total since Tuesday to 272, including 169 police officers.

• Rama rejected calls to step down, while the United States appealed for calm and the European Commission urged dialogue and a proportionate response.

Albanian police deployed water cannon, tear gas and rubber bullets during hours of clashes with anti-government protesters on Sunday, as Prime Minister Edi Rama rejected demands for his resignation.

The demonstrations, which began on 13 October, have brought anger over poor university conditions, high tuition fees and corruption onto the streets of the capital.

Hundreds gathered outside the Education Ministry around noon on Sunday, chanting for Rama to step down. After police attempted to disperse the crowd, demonstrators spread through central Tirana, where confrontations continued for hours.

Some protesters hurled stones, petrol bombs and fireworks at officers. Rubbish bins were set alight, windows were smashed at buildings including the governing Socialist Party’s headquarters, and fires broke out at a police station and the Interior Ministry entrance.

Ambulances moved between the affected areas to collect the injured.

The Health Ministry’s Sunday tally recorded 28 injuries: 19 police officers, four protesters, four passers-by and a journalist. An earlier account had put the number of injured officers at 16.

Albert Nushi, an official in the police public security department, said the attack on the police station had endangered officers and people in custody. He condemned the violence and urged peaceful demonstrators to distance themselves from masked individuals involved in attacks.

Businesses had secured their premises with metal shutters ahead of the gathering. Municipal workers also removed paving stones to prevent their use as projectiles.

Rama rejects resignation demands

In a video address lasting more than an hour, Rama ruled out leaving office and attributed the unrest to outside interference.

His scheduled Monday meeting with Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker was cancelled by the Albanian side, according to Austria’s federal press service.

Protesters, meanwhile, said their demands extended beyond education costs to wider concerns about governance and accountability.

Writer and activist Lura Elezi told AFP she was demonstrating for better living conditions, the rule of law and action against crime and corruption. She urged citizens to take responsibility for the country without destroying it.

Injuries mount after weekend clashes

Sunday’s confrontations followed particularly severe violence on Saturday, when protesters used burning vehicles and rubbish bins as barricades and threw stones, metal objects, petrol bombs and fireworks at police.

A court building, banks and a post office were among the premises set ablaze or badly damaged.

The Health Ministry said 65 people, including 37 police officers, were injured on Saturday, with 12 requiring hospitalisation. Across the unrest since Tuesday, the ministry reported 272 injuries, including 169 among police personnel.

The US embassy in Tirana appealed for restraint from all sides. The European Commission condemned violence in Tirana and other cities, while stressing that the authorities’ response must remain proportionate.

The commission urged peaceful dialogue to address grievances, citing Albania’s commitment to the European Union accession process.

The latest clashes follow months of anti-government demonstrations, initially triggered by opposition to a controversial resort development linked to US President Donald Trump’s family.

With agency inputs