Riot police clash with protesters for fourth day as young Albanians protest corruption and poor university conditions
Published on October 16, 2026
Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama has blamed “foreign hands” for the increasingly violent protests led by students calling for him to resign.
Riot police clashed with demonstrators outside the Education Ministry for the fourth day in a row, as thousands of young Albanians marched in the capital, Tirana, on Friday to protest government corruption and poor university conditions.
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“This is not a student phenomenon,” Rama said Friday in a video speech. He said there were “foreign hands that do not want Albania to be at peace.”
Rama insisted that the protest had “absolutely nothing to do with the difficulties, problems or legitimate aspirations of anyone who desires a better life.”
Police used water cannons and tear gas while protesters threw stones.
Protests spread beyond the capital to Elbasan, Shkodra and Korca, where demonstrators broke windows and set trash cans on fire, local media reported.
The current escalation follows months of mostly peaceful protests, initially sparked by the sale of part of Albania’s coastline to a luxury resort linked to Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of US President Donald Trump.
The days of unrest increasingly targeted banks and government buildings. Protesters threw bricks and concrete blocks at the Ministry of Education on Tuesday. They also set fire to several buildings across the city, including the prime minister’s office, the buildings of the finance and justice ministries, and branches of several banks.
According to a police statement, 160 people were arrested Thursday evening for alleged acts of violence.
The European question
Protesters are demanding Rama’s resignation, as well as electoral and educational reforms.
The prime minister, whose government denies corruption, said he was willing to discuss rising education costs but rejected calls to resign.
He said on Thursday: “My responsibility is to listen, respond to legitimate concerns and move Albania forward. »
His dismissal “would be a betrayal of the Albanians who gave me a strong mandate to complete negotiations on membership of the European Union,” he added.
Corruption scandals have complicated Albania’s efforts to join the EU. Analysts say the country is a hub for gangs seeking to launder money from drug and arms trafficking.
Rama won a fourth term last year on a promise to integrate Albania into the EU, with the aim of joining as early as 2028.
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