Violent protests in Tirana: stones and Molotov cocktails thrown at the police
Young people gathered outside the Ministry of Education to call for Prime Minister Edi Rama to resign
After weeks of demonstrations and clashes, in Albania tensions show no sign of easing. Today, the streets of the capital, Tirana, have once again seen violent protests have returned to the streets of the capital, Tirana, with groups of students gathering outside the Ministry of Education to demand the resignation of the socialist Prime Minister Edi Rama. First, rubbish bins were set alight; then stones were thrown at the police; and finally, Molotov cocktails were hurled. The police responded with water cannons and tear gas. The clashes lasted around 30 minutes and the crowd, which had thinned out partly due to heavy rain, then withdrew, heading towards the Government Palace.
The centre-right opposition, led by Sali Berisha, attempted to join the student demonstration but was turned away. ‘We are the opposition,’ declared the young people, who had also formed a human chain to block the advance of opposition activists.
Tensions in Paris too, as police fire tear gas at rioters
Protests have continued in the French capital too, having now been going on for months. At the end of a demonstration that took place without incident, there were some tensions in Paris. Groups of rioters began throwing fireworks at the police and damaging bus shelters and benches. The police charged them, and officers and young people dressed in black are currently facing off in the Porte de Charenton area.
