The capital went through one of the most serious episodes of urban violence, with protests lasting around eight hours and leaving behind damage to public institutions, banks, private businesses and public spaces. According to the official version, police intervened at several points with water cannons and tear gas to disperse the crowd.
Violence began at public institutions
The clashes began at the Ministry of Education, where the building was attacked with stones and flames. Young people with covered faces tore up sidewalk railings, piled them in front of the building and struck the institution, while black smoke was seen coming from inside.
The tense situation then continued on Durrës Street, where damage to several private businesses was also reported. In this area, a second-tier private bank was also burned and destroyed.
Movement from one flashpoint to another
The protesters then moved toward Skanderbeg Square, where they set fire to benches and garbage bins, adding to the damage in the city’s public spaces.
Another flashpoint was the Ministry of Economy. There, protesters entered the first floor of the building, tore off doors, smashed windows and brought furniture outside, once again raising questions about the level of security at state buildings in central Tirana.
The Interior Ministry, the Pyramid and the boulevard were also hit
The attacks also reached the Ministry of the Interior, where the building was struck and windows were broken. The crowd then split into two groups, one in Skanderbeg Square and the other near the Ministry of Economy, before moving toward Dëshmorët e Kombit Boulevard.
Various buildings along the boulevard were attacked, while damage was also reported at the Pyramid of Tirana, where windows were smashed and parts of the premises were burned. Another second-tier private bank was also attacked in this area.
Tensions also near the Prime Minister’s Office and Parliament
The protesters then headed to the Prime Minister’s Office, where trees at the side entrance of the building were set on fire. Images from the area marked another escalation near the executive’s most important institutions.
The protest also moved to the building of the Presidency of Parliament, where protesters surged toward the building and tried to enter. At some of these flashpoints, according to the authorities, police used water cannon trucks and tear gas to push back the crowd.
The toll of these eight hours includes extensive material damage to state buildings, banks, businesses and public facilities at several points across Tirana.
The event highlighted not only the escalation of violence on the ground, but also the vulnerability of institutional and urban infrastructure in the heart of the capital.