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Thousands march in Albanian capital as anti-government protests spread

  • On Saturday, October 17, thousands of students gathered outside Tirana's Education Ministry on the fifth day of protests demanding Socialist Prime Minister Edi Rama's resignation over alleged corruption and poor education conditions.
  • Months of peaceful rallies by the 'Flamingo' movement originally opposed a luxury tourism development on Albania's southern coast linked to Jared Kushner, son-in-law of U.S. President Donald Trump, fueling broader student demands for reform.
  • National Police Chief Skender Hita confirmed disciplinary investigations into seven officers for 'exceeding their authority' as police deployed water cannons, tear gas, and rubber bullets, with 132 officers and 45 protesters injured.
  • Prime Minister Rama rejected resignation calls in a video address, blaming unnamed 'foreign hands' for inciting violence, while officials warned the unrest threatens Albania's goal of European Union membership by 2028.
  • Demonstrations have spread to Durres, Vlora, and Korca, with police reporting 1,067 arrests throughout the five-day period, marking one of the country's most serious episodes of street violence in decades.
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Lean Left

During the week of protests, 167 people were arrested and criminal proceedings were initiated against 388. Seven police officers were suspended for exceeding their authority.

·Ljubljana, Slovenia
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Center

نُشر هذا المقاعل firstly via Cedarnews.net. To follow more exclusive news and interviews, visit our website. On Saturday, for the fifth day in a row, violent anti-government protests rocked the Albanian capital, Tirana. Protesters are demanding Prime Minister Edi. This news was published on the Cedarnews website. For more information, visit our official website.

Center

Thousands of young Albanians protested violently, breaking windows and traffic lights, on the fifth day of more and more violent protests in front of the students; the demonstrators demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama. Saturday, around 11:00, the students gathered for the fifth consecutive day in front of the Ministry of Education in Tirana. For about an hour, the protest took place peacefully, with predominantly symbolic actions…

·Bucharest, Romania
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Lean Right

Protesters demand the resignation of the head of the Albanian government and denounce the teaching conditions and university fees.

·Lisboa, Portugal
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Center

By Jona Cenameri Shortly after 11:00 AM on Saturday, October 17, protesters began gathering again in front of the Ministry of Education in Tirana. It was the fifth day of violent protests that began on October 13. The crowd’s most repeated call and most articulate demand remained the one that had accompanied the protests since […]

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France24 broke the news in Issy-les-Moulineaux, France on Wednesday, October 14, 2026.
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