The protest launched by students entered its sixth day with another escalation in Tirana. The gathering that assembled near the Ministry of Education began with calls against the government, but later turned into tensions with police, escorts to police stations, and an attack on the headquarters of the Socialist Party.
Gathering near the Ministry of Education and political chants
Citizens and students gathered again near the Ministry of Education, where among the protesters there were young people with and without masks, as well as national flags. Calls were heard at the gathering for the prime minister’s resignation, clearly placing the protest on political ground and not only a student one.
In the early hours, the atmosphere appeared different from previous days, with some young people dancing and singing in the street in front of police officers. The calm, however, lasted only briefly.
A protester’s symbolic gesture
One of the protesters called on those present not to use violence against the police, while also asking officers not to strike protesters. He then tore up, as a sign of revolt, the certificate he had received from former Education Minister Besa Shahini as the winner of the History Olympiad.
The gesture was interpreted as a symbolic act of opposition toward institutions, in a protest where discontent is going beyond the initial demands and is being directed increasingly openly against the government.
From calm to clashes with police
After the initial moments without incidents, the situation grew tense near the Ministry of Education. Stones were thrown toward the police, while officers remained on the perimeter of the building.
A journalist was injured in the clashes and was taken away from the area by ambulance. Police then pushed protesters toward the center of Tirana, while several people were escorted to police stations.
In such a situation, the exact extent of the force used and the circumstances of the intervention remain to be fully clarified by the authorities.
Stone attack on the headquarters of the Socialist Party
Protesters later stopped in front of the headquarters of the Socialist Party, where they struck the building with stones. According to footage and information reported from the scene, the door area was damaged and windows were broken.
The protest’s shift from a gathering in front of the Ministry of Education to an attack on a party headquarters shows that tensions on the ground are deepening, while institutions face a revolt that is no longer remaining within the bounds of a symbolic reaction.
The sixth day of the protest found Tirana amid political chants, symbolic acts of revolt, and clashes that left people injured and others escorted by police.
The events of this Sunday once again highlighted the escalation of the crisis on the ground, as public order and the institutional response remain at the center of attention.