The capital spent an afternoon and evening under high tension, as the protest degenerated into open violence, material damage and repeated police intervention. According to reports from the scene, government buildings, banks, private businesses and public spaces were attacked, while police used water cannons and tear gas to disperse the crowd.
From the Ministry of Education to Durrës Street
One of the first flashpoints was the Ministry of Education, where the building was hit with stones and flames. In the area, young people with covered faces were seen tearing out railings along the sidewalks, piling them up in front of the institution and continuing the attacks on the building.
Tensions later shifted to Durrës Street, while the movement of protesters from one point to another made it difficult to control the situation for hours.
Multiple targets: institutions, banks and businesses
Protesters attacked several private businesses and, according to reports, a second-tier private bank was burned and destroyed. In Skanderbeg Square, benches and trash bins were set on fire, adding to the damage in the city’s public spaces.
Another serious flashpoint was at the Ministry of Economy, where protesters entered the first floor, tore out doors, smashed windows and dragged furniture outside. There were also attacks on the Ministry of the Interior, where broken windows and damage to the building were reported.
The Pyramid, the Prime Minister’s Office and buildings near Parliament
Considerable damage was also reported at the Pyramid of Tirana, where windows were broken and parts of the premises were destroyed, while another private bank in the same area was also attacked. Protesters then continued toward the Prime Minister’s Office, where trees at the side entrance of the building were set on fire.
Later, the protest moved to the building housing the Presidency of Parliament and the Constitutional Court. According to reports, there was an attempt to enter the building, while businesses on the lower floors of the two buildings known as the “Twin Towers” were also damaged and burned.
Attacks also on the Ministry of Justice and a shopping center
As the movement continued in central Tirana, the Ministry of Justice was also attacked. Broken windows and a fire on the first floor were reported at this building.
Another group of protesters smashed the windows of a shopping center near Tirana Castle. Police intervened at several of the hottest points with water cannon trucks and tear gas in an effort to disperse the crowd.
Police Station No. 2, burned vehicle and injured officers
There were also tensions near Police Station No. 2, where a police vehicle was burned. According to the official version, two police officers were injured during the incidents.
Damage was also reported on Elbasan Street and at Zogu i Zi, where barriers and road signs were destroyed. At around 10:00 p.m., the protest dispersed after several hours of clashes that turned Tirana into a map of successive episodes of violence and material damage.
The full extent of the damage and the number of people escorted by police or arrested remains to be independently verified.
What emerged clearly from developments on the ground was a serious failure to keep the escalation under control in the heart of the capital.