TIRANA, Oct 14 /ATA/Tirana Police have arrested 16 people in connection with violent acts during yesterday’s protest, including attacks on police officers, damage to state institutions and private businesses, and the destruction of ATMs, surveillance cameras, and metal barriers.
Another 49 individuals have been charged in connection with the incident.
According to the police, the violence occurred during a demonstration outside the Ministry of Education on October 13, 2026, at around 2:00 p.m. Several masked protesters allegedly threw hard objects, stone slabs, firecrackers, Molotov cocktails, and other items at police officers, state institutions, private businesses, and public spaces.
“As a result of the violent acts, the perimeter railings, walls, and windows of the Ministry of Education building were damaged, along with sidewalk railings, advertising signs, and road signage. Items inside a microfinance institution were also broken and set on fire, while the glass façade of a private commercial bank was damaged,” the police said.
Additionally, on Ded Gjon Luli Street, one of the doors of the Tirana Municipality building was forcibly broken open, and a fire was set on its first floor.
Throughout the demonstration, police officers deployed to maintain order faced repeated acts of violence from the outset, as groups of masked participants threw stones, hard objects, firecrackers, and Molotov cocktails at them. As a result, six police officers were injured.
As part of ongoing efforts to legally document the violent acts and hold those responsible accountable, and under the direction of the Tirana Prosecutor’s Office, the following procedural actions were carried out:
The investigative team, in cooperation with the Prosecutor’s Office, continues its efforts to identify other individuals involved in acts of violence against police officers, state institutions, and private businesses, as well as to fully document the unlawful acts committed during the October 13, 2026, demonstration.
The case files have been referred to the Tirana Prosecutor’s Office for followup action.
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