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Clashes between police and demonstrators opposing Albania’s Socialist government erupted in the capital for a third consecutive day on Thursday, as Prime Minister Edi Rama pledged not to step down.

Rioters in Tirana threw rocks at a police cordon outside the Education Ministry, leading police to deploy tear gas and water cannons, according to The Associated Press.

The disturbances followed Wednesday’s riots, during which protesters assaulted government buildings, banks and businesses, injuring 89 people, including 61 police officers.

“As for calls for my resignation, governments change through democratic elections. We held elections last year, not a revolution,” Prime Minister Edi Rama told Reuters on Thursday.

ALBANIAN PROTESTERS FLOOD STREETS DEMANDING PRIME MINISTER’S RESIGNATION AMID CORRUPTION ACCUSATIONS

Riot police officers detain a hooded protester during clashes near the Ministry of Education in Tirana, Albania, on Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026. (Hameraldi Agolli/AP)

“My responsibility is to listen to, address legitimate concerns and keep Albania moving forward,” he added. “The alternative would be a betrayal of the Albanian people who entrusted me with a strong mandate to advance EU negotiations.”

Thursday’s protests featured student groups advocating education reforms, alongside a broader anti-government movement opposing a major development project tied to President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, according to the AP.

A protester pushes a riot police officer’s shield during an anti-government demonstration in Tirana, Albania, on Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026. (Hameraldi Agolli/AP)

The so‑called Flamingo movement demands Rama’s resignation amid allegations of widespread corruption; it derived its name from the pink bird signs used by protesters.

“The message from the streets is clear: Albanians are fed up. Public patience with Edi Rama’s socialist government has run out,” former Albanian ambassador to the United States Agim Nesho told Fox News Digital on Thursday.

“The wheels are coming off Edi Rama’s socialist government. After 13 years in power, his administration faces mounting accusations of corruption, misuse of public funds and political favoritism,” Nesho said. “Meanwhile, poverty, unemployment, poor public services and a mass exodus of young Albanians seeking better prospects in Europe have stoked widespread anger. Critics contend that, like other failed socialist regimes, the political elite has profited while ordinary citizens struggle to make ends meet.”

An EU delegation in Albania urged a proportionate response from authorities late Wednesday, expressing concern over “the violent escalation at the protest in Tirana.”

JARED KUSHNER’S OVERSEAS LUXURY RESORT PROJECT FACES ANTI-CORRUPTION INVESTIGATION DURING VIOLENT PROTESTS

Protesters set fire to a barricade during clashes near the Education Ministry in Tirana, Albania, on Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026. (Hameraldi Agolli/AP)

Rama secured his fourth term as prime minister last year, campaigning on a platform that prioritizes Albania’s accession to the EU, with the government aiming for membership as early as 2028, according to Reuters.

Student organizers told Reuters that the protests stem from rising education costs, insufficient financial support, deteriorating university conditions and limited job prospects after graduation.

The prime minister told the news agency that he is willing to discuss education costs, but emphasized, “Attacking institutions, destroying public property and threatening public safety are,””” ,R

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