Tirana protests widen as violent clashes continue into second week

Violent clashes between police and protesters in Tirana have continued into a second week, with unrest spreading beyond the Albanian capital. What began as student-led protests over university conditions and job prospects has broadened into a wider anti-government movement. Demonstrators are demanding better education, lower living costs and an end to alleged corruption. Many also want Prime Minister Edi Rama and his Socialist government to resign, and a caretaker government to be formed.

By the latest reports, the unrest had lasted about 11 days. Police have used tear gas, water cannon and rubber bullets. Protesters have thrown stones, fireworks, petrol bombs and metal objects. Buildings have been set on fire, including the education ministry, the prime minister's office, a courthouse, banks, kiosks and offices of the governing Socialist Party. The health ministry said 35 people, including 18 police officers, were hurt in one day of unrest. More than 160 people have been arrested. Clashes have also been reported in five other cities.

The flashpoints have shifted from the Ministry of Education, where the protests began, to the prime minister's office and other government buildings. Protesters have pulled up paving stones and smashed shop windows. Police have moved in on small groups and made arrests. On some days the streets have calmed in the evening, but live reports showed fresh volleys of tear gas and water cannon as crowds pressed towards official buildings.

The protests began at the end of May over a luxury coastal development linked to Jared Kushner, Donald Trump's son-in-law. The movement was initially called the Flamingo Revolution. For months it was largely peaceful. Protesters say they were ignored. Some of those on the streets said they had demonstrated peacefully for 140 days and felt violence was now their only way to be heard.

Edi Rama, prime minister for 13 years and re-elected last year, has refused to resign. He has described some protesters as vandals and barbarians, and suggested foreign actors, including Iran, were involved in a conspiracy against his rule. He has said he is open to dialogue, but the student movement says it has no leaders. In a speech, he promised a tougher police response and fines for anyone who remains in a crowd where stones are thrown or fires are set. The fines could rise to more than £4,500.

The unrest has become a crisis for a prime minister who once presented himself as a pro-European reformer. Albania is a candidate for EU membership, and a special anti-corruption prosecution service, SPAK, has several high-level investigations under way. Protesters point to those cases as evidence that corruption is a real issue, though Rama denies any implication in them. There is no sign yet of negotiations or of the prime minister stepping down.