The situation on Durrës Street worsened significantly during the protest in front of the Ministry of Education, where published footage shows acts of violence against a second-tier bank and a tough police response to disperse the crowd.
Attack on the bank amid the clashes
Near the area where protesters had gathered, several individuals attacked a second-tier bank. According to footage made public, several young people with covered faces tried to break the windows with hard objects.
The same footage also shows flames being set inside the bank’s premises, a development that further raised the level of danger in the area.
Firefighters step in
After the fire broke out inside the bank, firefighters intervened immediately to bring the situation under control. Up to this stage, no other official details have been made public about the damage or the consequences of the incident.
Police use water to disperse protesters
On the ground, police continued efforts to disperse the demonstrators by using water. This shows that the clash between law enforcement and the protesters had moved into an open phase of tension, beyond an ordinary gathering.
It is also reported that several people were escorted by police, but without full public clarification on their number or the specific reasons for the escort.
A protest that gets out of control
The gathering in front of the Ministry of Education, which began as a protest, was accompanied by serious incidents in public space and damage to a private entity. So far, the official version on the management of the situation and responsibility for the escalation remains partial.
Footage from the scene shows a tense situation on one of Tirana’s central arteries, with protesters, police intervention and firefighting services in the same area.
It remains unclear whether the attack on the bank is directly linked to the protest or to the actions of a separate group within the crowd.
What is clearly visible is that the situation on Durrës Street has gone beyond the limits of an ordinary protest and has raised serious questions about security and the response of institutions on the ground.