The student protest in Tirana entered its sixth day amid rising tensions, as other citizens also joined the gathering. The assembly began near the Ministry of Education, but the situation later deteriorated into clashes with police and an attack on the headquarters of the Socialist Party.
The gathering began near the Ministry of Education
From the early hours, protesters gathered near the Ministry of Education, with and without masks, carrying national flags and demanding the prime minister’s resignation.
At first there was also a moment unlike previous days, when several young people danced and sang in the middle of the street, facing police forces.
Calls against violence, then clashes began
One of the protesters called on those present not to use violence against police officers, while also asking the police not to strike protesters. As a sign of revolt, he tore up the certificate he had earlier received as a winner of the History Olympiad, awarded by former Education Minister Besa Shahini.
After these moments, the situation changed quickly. Tensions began and stones were thrown toward the police, who were stationed near the Ministry of Education.
A journalist injured, several protesters taken in
A journalist was injured in the clashes and was taken away from the area by ambulance.
Later, police pushed the protesters toward the city center, while some of them were taken to the police station. There is no complete public information on the exact number of those taken in or the circumstances of each intervention.
Stone attack on Socialist Party headquarters
Later, protesters stopped in front of the headquarters of the Socialist Party, where a stone attack on the building was reported.
According to footage and reporting from the scene, the entrance door was hit and the building’s windows were broken. In another episode, a bloodied person in the street was removed from the crowd with police intervention.
The events of the sixth day showed a clear escalation of the protest, from political chants and symbols of revolt to open clashes on the ground.
So far, questions remain unanswered about the authorities’ handling of the situation, the degree of force used, and the exact toll of those injured and taken in.