Violence erupts in central Tirana

Student protests in Tirana turned violent on Tuesday, 13 October, and the unrest carried into Wednesday, 14 October. On Wednesday, protesters threw stones and Molotov cocktails, set plastic benches and rubbish bins alight on the central square and started a fire at the education ministry building. The flames spread to trees a few hundred metres away, while a branch of Raiffeisen Bank near the ministry was attacked, with its windows smashed and smoke bombs thrown inside. Police responded with water cannons and tear gas, pushing the crowd back to clear a path for firefighters. Albanian media reported that the protests had spread to universities in Elbasan and Shkodër.

Tuesday's clashes and the ministry fire

On Tuesday, several hundred people rallied outside the education ministry, demanding better university conditions and the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama. Police said protesters then forced open the doors of the town hall, set fire inside and damaged other buildings. On Wednesday, two demonstrators climbed a wall of the ministry and threw flares inside, according to AFP journalists, and thick black smoke soon poured from a window before firefighters put the blaze out. Men also smashed bank windows and set documents alight, while an apparently empty building burned.

Arrests, injuries and suspensions

Police announced 16 arrests linked to Tuesday's violence. An earlier report put the number of detained protesters at 23, while a later one counted at least 20 people held. Police said officers faced constant violence on Tuesday, including thrown stones, firecrackers and Molotov cocktails from masked groups. The health ministry said six police officers, eight protesters, three journalists and two passers-by received medical care that day, partly for the effects of tear gas.

Reports say five officers have been suspended, and allege that police also targeted bystanders and used disproportionate force.

Government and EU response

Deputy Prime Minister Albana Koçiu condemned the violence on Facebook, writing:

Protesting is a legitimate right, but it cannot be used as an excuse for violence, city destruction or ugly fighting in the middle of the road.

She urged students and every honest citizen to distance themselves from vandalism. Police warned that participants who commit unlawful acts would face criminal consequences. The EU delegation in Tirana expressed concern about the "violent escalation", called on all sides to calm down, and asked for prompt inquiries into reports of excessive police force against demonstrators and journalists. Albania is an EU accession candidate, and earlier this week another negotiating chapter was provisionally closed.

The Flamingo Revolution backdrop

The unrest grows out of a movement known as the "Flamingo Revolution", which began at the end of May against a planned luxury resort on a protected coastal area in southern Albania. The project is backed by Jared Kushner, son-in-law of US President Donald Trump, and has been caught up in legal disputes. Besar Likmeta, an editor at the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network in Albania, told Al Jazeera that the latest protest came after four months of daily rallies on the capital's main streets. Edi Rama, who has governed since 2013 and won a fourth term in May 2025, faces growing discontent over perceived graft among top officials. Students cite university conditions, tuition costs, weak financial support and job prospects after graduation.