WorldPosted at: Oct 25 2026 2:50PM


Violent protests erupt again in Albania as students demand PM Rama’s resignation

Tirana, Oct 25 (UNI) Albanian riot police fired tear gas, used water cannons and rubber bullets to disperse demonstrators in the capital as student-led anti-government protests intensified over alleged corruption, rising living costs, poor education standards and a controversial luxury resort project linked to US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner.
Thousands of protesters gathered in central Tirana, throwing stones at police, setting fires at government buildings and demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama, who has led the country since 2013. The demonstrations, which began earlier this month, have spread to other Albanian cities after months of largely peaceful protests over a proposed coastal development.
The unrest has become a broader expression of public dissatisfaction with the government, bringing together students, environmental activists and citizens frustrated by economic pressures, limited employment opportunities and allegations of official misconduct.
On Saturday afternoon, demonstrators assembled outside the Education Ministry before moving through the capital.
As per local media, protesters threw rocks at police and started a fire at the entrance to the Agriculture Ministry. Clashes subsequently broke out at several locations as officers attempted to disperse the crowds.
A separate report by The New York Times described a fire at the building housing the Environment Ministry after Molotov cocktails were thrown through its doors. Protesters later moved towards the headquarters of the governing Socialist Party near Skanderbeg Square, where they confronted riot police guarding the premises.
The prime minister has rejected calls to step down and has invited students to talks, while accusing political opponents of exploiting their grievances.
The student demonstrations began on October 13 in support of an environmental campaign opposing the proposed luxury development associated with Kushner and his business partners.
The movement quickly expanded as students raised concerns about education costs, living expenses and what they described as a lack of dignity and opportunity for young people.
“After more than 130 days of a national peaceful protest, we, as students, wanted to show that we have many other reasons to protest,” Emir Lecini, a member of a student group involved in launching the movement, told The New York Times.
“Our system of education is unacceptable, cost of living is high, and students are not treated with dignity,” he said.
The demonstrations are being held targeting Rama's government, with protesters accusing it of failing to address economic hardship and corruption allegations. Some demonstrators have characterised the political system as authoritarian.
Albanians have awakened to the situation, describing the government as a “dictatorship with the clothes of democracy,” a protester said
Another protester, Orgeta Likaj, said demonstrators wanted Rama to understand that many Albanians no longer supported him because of corruption allegations and political scandals.
The protests also reflect a wider sense of frustration among young people, some of whom see their movement as connected to student-led demonstrations elsewhere in Europe.
Redjan Shkembi, who initially joined protests against the resort project, told The New York Times that he wanted Albania to be a country not governed like a dictatorship.
“We feel connected to the youth protests we are seeing across Europe,” he said.
The escalation has placed the conduct of the police under growing scrutiny. Officers used tear gas, water cannons and rubber bullets as they sought to disperse demonstrators who threw stones and other objects during Saturday's clashes.
The violence has also resulted in damage to public and private property. Reuters reported that demonstrators had set fire to government buildings and banks, smashed shop windows and pulled up paving stones to throw at police.
According to figures cited in The New York Times report, authorities said 283 people had been arrested and 363 charged since the protests began this month.
Police actions during earlier demonstrations have also provoked public anger. Albanian police suspended two officers after video footage showed them pushing a student who, according to local news reports, sustained a spinal fracture. Authorities subsequently said additional officers had been suspended over excessive force.
The incidents have added another dimension to the protests, with demonstrators criticising both the government and the way security forces have responded to public dissent.
Rama has condemned violence while maintaining that peaceful demonstrations are a legitimate part of a democratic system.
“Peaceful protest is a democratic value,” he said in a video posted on Facebook on Saturday, according to The New York Times. He described violence at protests as a threat to the state, the law and public safety, saying it could not be tolerated or justified.
The prime minister has also announced an online platform through which businesses affected by the unrest can apply for compensation.
Although the demonstrations now encompass a broad range of political and economic grievances, opposition to the proposed coastal resort remains an important part of their origins.
The development, associated with Kushner, his wife Ivanka Trump and investors from the Persian Gulf, has been promoted as a major tourism investment. The project has been estimated to cost more than $4 billion.
Environmental groups and local activists have opposed construction near the village of Zvërnec and the largely uninhabited island of Sazan, raising concerns about the impact of large-scale tourism development on the area's natural environment.
The campaign gained momentum after a video circulated online showing private security guards dragging away a man who had joined residents and environmental activists protesting on a beach in southern Albania on May 30. The beach is part of the area proposed for the hotel and resort development.
The campaign became known as the “flamingo revolution”, a reference to the region's birdlife. For months, demonstrations were largely peaceful, with gatherings in Tirana taking on a festive atmosphere before the student movement broadened the campaign into a nationwide challenge to the government.
Rama said last month that the project had been put on hold while the government assessed its environmental impact. The project's future will depend on the outcome of that assessment, he said.
The controversy has highlighted tensions between the government's ambitions to attract foreign investment and demands from environmental groups and local communities for stronger protection of sensitive coastal areas.
Rama has said the students' demands for improvements in education and living conditions are legitimate but argued that political groups are attempting to exploit the demonstrations and undermine Albania's ambitions to join the European Union.
He has repeatedly invited students to participate in dialogue, including through social media messages and videos showing empty chairs intended to signal his willingness to meet them.
Student protesters have so far rebuffed the invitation and vowed to continue their demonstrations.
The government faces the challenge of addressing the underlying grievances while preventing further violence and property damage. At the same time, the opposition to the resort project has created a politically sensitive issue involving foreign investors linked to the family of the U.S. president.
The unrest poses a significant challenge for Rama, who won a fourth term in office last year, according to Reuters. Whether the protests will lead to policy concessions, a negotiated settlement or a prolonged confrontation remains uncertain.
Albania's efforts to join the European union form an important part of the political dispute. Rama's government has made EU membership a central objective, while the prime minister argues that some political groups are seeking to derail that goal by exploiting the unrest.
The protests, however, are rooted in concerns that extend beyond European integration. Students have demanded improvements in education and living standards, while environmental activists have called for greater scrutiny of the proposed resort and its potential impact on the coast.
The government's response, including its handling of police conduct and its willingness to engage with protesters, is likely to remain central to the course of the demonstrations.
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