Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama has blamed “foreign hands” for the increasingly violent student-led protests demanding his resignation.
Riot police clashed with protesters outside the education ministry in Tirana for a fourth straight day on Friday, as thousands of young Albanians marched against government corruption and poor university conditions. Police used water cannon and tear gas as demonstrators threw rocks.
In a video address, Rama said: “This is not a student phenomenon.” He said there were “foreign hands that do not wish for Albania to be at peace” and insisted the protest had nothing to do with the legitimate aspirations of anyone seeking a better life.
Local media reported that demonstrators in Elbasan, Shkodra and Korca broke windows and set fire to rubbish bins. Police said 160 people were detained on Thursday evening over alleged violence.
The escalation follows months of mostly peaceful demonstrations, first sparked by the sale of part of Albania’s coastline to a luxury resort development linked to Jared Kushner, US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law.
Protesters have increasingly targeted banks and government buildings. On Tuesday they hurled bricks and concrete blocks at the education ministry and set fire to several buildings in Tirana, including the prime minister’s office, the finance and justice ministries and several bank branches.
