Student Protests in Tirana Escalate as Buildings Catch Fire

Albanian students protested for a second day in Tirana on Wednesday, October 14, as clashes with police continued and fires were reported at the Education Ministry and a nearby Raiffeisen Bank branch. The demonstrations began Tuesday over university conditions, education costs, financial support and job prospects, and widened into protests against Prime Minister Edi Rama’s government. Police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse crowds on both days. On Tuesday, demonstrators threw bricks and concrete blocks at the Education Ministry, according to reports of the protest. Albanian police said 23 people were apprehended and six officers were injured. The Association of Journalists of Albania separately alleged that a journalist was injured by police and a reporting crew was prevented from covering the protest. On Wednesday, thousands gathered outside the ministry, where bricks were thrown and street barriers were broken, according to footage. The ministry and a nearby Raiffeisen Bank branch caught fire during the renewed demonstrations, according to witness and video accounts. Police said 16 protesters were detained after clashes that day.