TIRANA, Oct. 14 /ATA/ – A student-led protest joined by other citizens in Tirana escalated into widespread violence on Wednesday, with demonstrators attacking state institutions, vandalising businesses and setting buildings on fire.
The protest, which began at 11 a.m., was marked by damage to public and private property. After attacking the Ministry of Education and businesses along Durrës Street, demonstrators moved to Martyrs of the Nation Boulevard.
Along the route linking central Tirana with the prime minister’s office, protesters smashed security cameras, traffic lights and advertising signs.
They subsequently attacked several state institutions, including the Interior Ministry, the Ministry of Economy and Innovation, and the Bank of Albania. Demonstrators also attempted to attack the prime minister’s office with fireworks and Molotov cocktails but were stopped by police.
Officers intervened to disperse the crowd, using tear gas and water cannons as tensions mounted.
The Pyramid, a landmark in the capital, was also targeted, with protesters smashing windows and attacking businesses inside the building.
Clashes continued along Martyrs of the Nation Boulevard near the prime minister’s office, where a private business in one of the two towers opposite the Pyramid was set on fire. Protesters attacked businesses at the Twin Towers, damaging several premises.
Police used tear gas, while a water tanker and a fire engine attempted to contain the flames.
Another group of demonstrators broke down the door of the parliamentary presidium building, threw fireworks and set off flares, causing a fire inside.
Meanwhile, a group of young protesters moved to Elbasan Street, setting rubbish bins on fire and damaging traffic lights and metal barriers along the Lana River, disrupting vehicle traffic.
The violence continued to escalate as demonstrators threw stones at the ground floors of a shopping centre near parliament. Police intervened and took several protesters into custody.
Another group attacked the Justice Ministry with stones and Molotov cocktails. Police used tear gas in an attempt to disperse the crowd, which subsequently moved towards parliament.
Some protesters also headed to the Zogu i Zi area, where they uprooted railings along the boulevard and moved rubbish bins into the middle of the road.
Protesters are demanding better conditions at universities, lower higher-education costs, greater financial support for students and improved employment prospects after graduation. They have also put forward political demands, above all calling for the government to step down.
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