Albania protests turn violent in Tirana leaving over 300 injured

More than 300 people, including both demonstrators and law enforcement officers, were injured during intense clashes in Tirana as thousands took to the streets to protest against the government.

Authorities confirmed that several state buildings were targeted during the unrest on Saturday. In response, riot police deployed tear gas, water cannon, and rubber bullets to push back the crowds. Dozens of participants were taken into custody following the confrontations, which marked a sharp escalation after a brief lull in demonstrations.

The unrest is part of a wider series of rallies that erupted across Albania in mid-October. Demonstrators initially rallied over declining school conditions and broader cost-of-living pressures, but the gatherings have expanded into demands for the resignation of Socialist Prime Minister Edi Rama.

A wide array of groups participated in the weekend demonstration, with university professors, artists, and opposition figures joining students who travelled from across the country. Ahead of the gathering, police stepped up security measures, including stopping and searching vehicles travelling toward the capital.

During the demonstration, crowds converged on key government sites, with the Ministry of Education serving as a primary flashpoint. Some attendees hurled rocks and pushed burning trash containers toward the building. Outside the main government headquarters, authorities had placed red cushions to represent a call for discussions, but protesters set them ablaze.

Public discontent has been brewing for months, with intermittent rallies occurring since May after reports surfaced regarding a luxury hotel development connected to the family of United States President Donald Trump. Over time, that initial anger transformed into a wider critique of state corruption, inflation, and public services.

Prime Minister Rama has dismissed the unrest as being stoked by foreign influence, accusing Iran and Russia of spreading online disinformation to destabilise the country. Although he has publicly urged dialogue, demonstrators have continued to voice frustration with the political establishment as a whole, with some participants also displaying slogans rejecting prominent opposition figure Sali Berisha.