The 19th day of protest in Tirana unfolded between two parallel gatherings, one by students in front of the Ministry of Education and the other called by the Democratic Party in front of the Prime Minister’s Office. As the hours passed, the protest moved from political chants to clashes with police, while at several moments Molotov cocktails, high-pressure water and later pepper spray were used.
Two protests, one day of heightened tension
At the start of the day, students gathered in front of the Ministry of Education, while opposition supporters marched toward the Prime Minister’s Office led by Democratic Party MPs. Sali Berisha had called a day earlier for participation in the nationwide protest in support of the students, but he was not present at the march.
After about 30 minutes in front of the Prime Minister’s Office, the group of opposition protesters moved toward the Ministry of Education. At the entrance to Rruga e Durrësit, they were met with chants against both political sides, highlighting the open clash between the student spirit and the political exploitation of the protest.
Verbal clashes and accusations from police
Near the Ministry of Education area, the first tensions emerged between the groups. On one side, political chants were heard, while on the other there was direct opposition to the presence of opposition MPs at the protest.
According to police, a group of masked protesters threw stones and hard objects at officers. The police said the individuals had been identified and warned of legal consequences, while other protesters were asked to distance themselves. Despite those calls, reports from the ground said stone slabs were also removed from sidewalks and thrown at law enforcement forces.
Smoke, Molotovs and water intervention
A cloud of smoke formed in front of the Ministry of Education. It was initially reported to be coming from flares, while it was later clarified that it was smoke from a fire extinguished in garbage bins near the area.
Police also referred to the government’s normative act on protests, which according to the official version bans the wearing of masks and attacks on officers. In the first phase, the intervention remained limited, but water cannon trucks were later used as a dispersal measure.
Around the afternoon, the situation escalated further when Molotov cocktails were thrown from the protest toward police, while the law enforcement side responded with high-pressure water. In other episodes, the use of tear gas was also reported.
Return to the Prime Minister’s Office and detentions
After several hours of clashes near the Ministry of Education, the protest moved once again toward the Prime Minister’s Office. At first there was a calmer standoff, but tensions quickly returned as soon as some protesters threw Molotov cocktails toward the police cordon.
Police then intervened with water cannon trucks and calls to leave the perimeter of the building. After the incidents, the escorting of several protesters to police stations also began. The clashes later spread to several streets of Tirana, including the “Myslym Shyri” area, where chases, attempts to avoid detention and the throwing of incendiary devices toward the water cannon truck were reported.
Even after the crowd dispersed for a few minutes, a group of protesters returned once again in front of the Prime Minister’s Office with political chants against Edi Rama. At this stage, police responded with water and pepper spray, taking the 19th day of protest to another level of escalation.
At the height of the tensions, Prime Minister Edi Rama reacted on social media with an ironic post about the protest below his office.
The full toll of detentions and injured people was not immediately clear, while footage from the ground showed another day in which political confrontation and police management prevailed over any effort to keep the gathering under control.