Tirana protests injure 156, Albania minister says

Albania’s interior minister said 156 people, including 97 police officers, have been injured in recent days as protesters and police clashed in Tirana for a fourth day on Friday.

Police used tear gas and water cannons in the capital, while protesters threw stones at security forces and burned garbage bins to block roads. Fighting continued into the night in several parts of the city.

The demonstrations began on Tuesday, with thousands of protesters calling for Prime Minister Edi Rama to resign over university conditions and high tuition fees. AFP journalists saw protesters try to force their way into government offices on Tirana’s main boulevard on Friday.

Police said 160 people were detained on Thursday for acts of violence. Authorities said dozens of people, mainly police, have been injured since Tuesday.

Interior Minister Ervin Demo said excessive police force had been recorded in two instances and that two police officers had been suspended.

Rama accused unnamed “foreign hands” of fuelling the unrest and trying to hamper Albania’s bid to join the European Union. He did not provide details or evidence for the allegation.

Media reported that protests also spread to other cities, with smaller-scale violence and student boycotts of universities.