TIRANA, Oct. 17 — Student-led demonstrations in Tirana entered a fifth day Saturday, with thousands gathering outside the Education Ministry to demand Prime Minister Edi Rama’s resignation as police tactics came under scrutiny.
Reuters reported that protesters threw rocks while police used tear gas, stun grenades and a water cannon. According to Reuters, footage captured an officer firing a shotgun toward the crowd; the outlet said the ammunition appeared to be rubber bullets. Its journalists found pellets at the scene and reported that two Reuters journalists and several protesters were hit. Reuters also cited police counts listing 120 officers and 45 protesters as injured.
Police Chief Skender Hita said seven officers had been suspended while disciplinary investigations examined alleged excesses and failures to act proportionately, Reuters reported. Albania’s Ombudsman said on Oct. 13 that it had opened an administrative investigation into whether police use of force was necessary and proportionate.
Reuters reported that the demonstrations followed months of largely peaceful opposition to a proposed luxury resort on Albania’s southern coast, backed by investors including Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of U.S. President Donald Trump. The outlet said protesters also voiced concerns about perceived corruption, a lack of jobs and poor education standards. Separately, The Associated Press reported that student groups seeking education reform joined a broader anti-government campaign.
Reuters reported earlier in the week that Rama said he would not step down. EconoTimes covered the third day of the protests, when calls for his resignation continued. In a Facebook post Saturday, Rama described protecting citizens, ensuring justice and advancing Albania as his responsibilities. He also cited the goal of joining the European Union by 2030.
Rama has presented sustainable tourism as a priority, saying it could create jobs and support local communities and the national economy. An Oct. 3 government update said the Sazan-Zvërnec project file did not yet include an environmental impact study or an urban-planning and architectural design. The update said documents would be added when submitted and gave no date for the next project decision.
