The protest launched by students entered its sixth day with another escalation in Tirana, moving from chants and a gathering near the Ministry of Education to clashes with Police and an attack on the headquarters of the Socialist Party. The toll from the past few hours includes people escorted to police stations and an injured journalist, while order on the ground was once again called into question.
The gathering began near the Ministry of Education
Citizens and students gathered again near the Ministry of Education, as the protest entered its sixth day. In the crowd were young people with and without masks, holding national flags and calling for the prime minister’s resignation.
At the start, the protest also had an unusual moment, when some young people danced and sang in the street in front of Police forces. The calm, however, did not last long.
Messages against violence, then tensions began
One of the protesters urged those present not to use violence against officers, while also asking police not to use violence against protesters. He then, as a sign of revolt, tore up the certificate that had been given to him by former Education Minister Besa Shahini as the winner of the History Olympiad.
A few moments later, the situation changed. Stones were thrown toward Police, while law enforcement forces remained near the Ministry of Education. The escalation once again highlighted that managing the protest remains fragile and can easily slide into confrontation.
Journalist injured, protesters escorted to police stations
During the tensions, a journalist was injured and was taken away from the area by ambulance. No further details have been given about her health condition.
According to the official version on the ground, Police pushed protesters toward the center, while several people were escorted to police stations. At this stage, there is still no full public account of the exact number of those escorted and the circumstances of each case.
Stone attack on Socialist Party headquarters
Later, some of the protesters stopped in front of the headquarters of the Socialist Party, where they began attacking the building with stones. The door area was also hit, and the building’s windows were broken.
The shift in the protest from a gathering outside the Ministry of Education to striking the headquarters of the ruling party turns the development into a crisis not only of public order, but also a political one. So far, what is known is that the protest has moved beyond the usual format of a gathering and entered an open phase of confrontation.
The events of this Sunday show that the protest in Tirana is moving rapidly from the symbolism of discontent to direct acts of violence in the streets. In the absence of any real calming on the ground, each such hour increases the cost to public security and deepens the crisis between protesters and the state.