Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama declines resignation demands as anti‑government protests enter sixth day

Updated 10 min 22 sec ago

October 19, 2026 00:52

TIRANA – Albanian police deployed water cannons and tear gas on Sunday as violent anti‑government demonstrations entered a sixth consecutive day, with Prime Minister Edi Rama firmly rejecting calls for his resignation. The protests, which began on Tuesday, have escalated into widespread clashes, leaving scores of injuries on both sides.

The unrest was sparked by grievances over poor university conditions, high tuition fees, and pervasive corruption. On Sunday, hundreds of demonstrators gathered in front of the Ministry of Education, chanting “Rama, resign” while police formed a tense standoff. After law‑enforcement units attempted to disperse the crowds, the protests fragmented across the city centre, culminating in hours‑long violent confrontations.

Protesters set fire to litter bins, smashed windows of the governing Socialist Party headquarters, and torched a police station and the entrance of the Interior Ministry. Demonstrators hurled rocks, Molotov cocktails, and pyrotechnic devices, prompting police to respond with rubber bullets and tear gas, according to an AFP reporter on the scene.

Emergency services rushed ambulances to the conflict zones to treat the wounded. The Ministry of Health reported 28 injuries on Sunday: 19 police officers, four protesters, four bystanders, and a journalist. Earlier, the ministry confirmed a total of 272 people injured since the protests began, including 169 officers. During Saturday’s violence alone, 65 individuals were hurt, with 12 hospitalized.

Albert Nushi, a spokesman for the police’s public‑security department, condemned the attacks on law‑enforcement facilities. “An assault on a police station is not a protest. Violence against officers, attacks on institutions, and actions that endanger human lives cannot be tolerated,” he said, urging peaceful assembly and warning citizens to avoid masked agitators.

Prior to the demonstrations, shops and offices in the city centre secured their premises with metal shutters, and municipal workers removed cobblestones to deter projectile use. In a video message broadcast earlier, Prime Minister Rama dismissed resignation calls, attributing the unrest to “external manipulation.” He also confirmed that an official visit to Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker scheduled for Monday had been cancelled.

International reaction came late Saturday. The United States Embassy in Tirana urged “restraint and calm on all sides,” while the European Commission condemned the violence, stressing that any response must remain proportionate. “In a candidate country committed to EU accession, grievances should be addressed through constructive dialogue and peaceful means,” the Commission stated.

The turmoil follows months of anti‑government sentiment in Albania, originally triggered by a controversial resort development linked to U.S. President Donald Trump’s family.