TIRANA, October 24 /ATSH/ – There have been clashes, incidents and damage during the protest today in Skanderbeg square in Tirana downtown.
The protesters threw Molotov cocktails, fireworks and stones at the police.
During these clashes, it was reported that a police officer caught fire; his colleagues intervened to extinguish the flames and provide assistance.
The protesters threw bottles containing gasoline toward the Ministry of Agriculture and the Municipality of Tirana, setting the main entrances of these institutions ablaze; however, the fires were brought under control by firefighters.
The confrontation continued for more than three hours this afternoon in Skanderbeg square, where young, masked protesters—some armed with sticks—clashed with police officers.
The police responded to the acts of violence with water cannons and tear gas.
Some protesters also pried stones from the ground in Skanderbeg square- the same like they did on the boulevard—and hurled them at the police. Pyrotechnic devices caused several small fires in the square, while the situation was marked by smoke and the use of tear gas by the police.
Police officers were deployed to various points around the square, with a significant number also stationed near the headquarters of the Socialist Party.
Despite the police intervention, the throwing of stones continued.
Furthermore, during these clashes, the protesters also hurled a barrage of fireworks at State Police officers.
The use of Molotov cocktails by protesters and tear gas by the police characterized the clashes in several areas of the capital, as police forces worked to manage the situation. /p.s./
