A student protest in front of the Ministry of Education in Tirana turned into a prolonged clash with police, amid stone-throwing, flares, tear gas and water cannons. The publicly released toll spoke of arrests and several injuries, in a situation that escalated for hours in several areas of the capital.
Tensions began at the start of the gathering
Incidents were recorded in the first minutes of the gathering, when eggs were thrown from the crowd toward the Ministry of Education building and graffiti was sprayed on its walls.
Later, according to the version reported from the scene, some protesters tore out metal railings and took bricks from the sidewalk, throwing them at the building and causing damage to the window glass. Inciting chants were also heard from the crowd, while there was an attempt to tear open the iron door and enter the building.
Police intervention with tear gas, rubber batons and water trucks
Police intervened about an hour after tensions began, forming a cordon in front of the ministry. At the height of the clashes, officers used rubber batons and began the first detentions.
Water trucks were also deployed on the ground and used to disperse the crowd. Later, in several waves of clashes, police also used tear gas and high-pressure water, while protesters regrouped several times after being dispersed.
The protest moves toward the center and reported damage
After the intervention at the Ministry of Education, some protesters moved toward Skanderbeg Square and the entrance to Durrës Street. Several fires were lit there and the destruction of a private business was also reported.
The crowd then moved toward Tirana City Hall, where stones were thrown at the building’s door. According to reports from the scene, the door was broken and some protesters entered inside before police arrived and arrests began.
Arrests, injured journalists and questions over the handling of the protest
The toll made public up to that stage of the incident spoke of 23 people arrested, several injured police officers and two injured journalists. During the incidents, a physical attack on a police officer was also reported.
The event once again raises questions over the handling of protests by institutions and over the failure to prevent escalation, despite the presence of law enforcement forces on the ground. The intervention with tear gas, rubber batons and water trucks came after the situation had long since gotten out of control.
For several hours, central Tirana became the scene of repeated clashes between protesters and police, with material damage and injured people.
What remains clear is that the protest that began in front of the Ministry of Education ended in a public order crisis that spread to several points of the capital.