The 19th protest in Tirana escalated sharply after two separate groups on the ground — students in front of the Ministry of Education and a protest called by the Democratic Party in front of the Prime Minister’s Office — moved closer into the same area, and the situation deteriorated into clashes, the throwing of hard objects and police intervention with crowd-control means.
Two separate protests, one flashpoint of tension
The gathering began on two fronts: students assembled in front of the Ministry of Education, while supporters of the Democratic Party initially marched toward the Prime Minister’s Office, accompanied by opposition MPs such as Flamur Noka, Agron Gjekmarkaj, Gazment Bardhi and Bledion Nallbati.
After about 30 minutes in front of the Prime Minister’s Office, the group of opposition protesters headed toward the Ministry of Education, where the students were gathered. It was at this moment that divisions within the protest became openly visible.
Students rejected the MPs, verbal clashes broke out
When the opposition group arrived at the entrance to Rruga e Durrësit, it was met with chants of “Rama in prison, Berisha in prison,” a clear signal that some of the protesters did not accept the party-political identification of the gathering.
There were also verbal confrontations on the ground with protesters who demanded that the opposition MPs leave. On the other side, political chants were heard from Democratic Party supporters, further increasing tensions between the two groups.
Stones, paving slabs and Molotov cocktails thrown at police
The situation escalated in front of the Ministry of Education. Police announced through loud calls on the ground that stones and hard objects were being thrown at officers, while according to the official version the people carrying out these acts were masked and had been identified.
Despite the warnings, some protesters continued to pull stone slabs from the sidewalks and throw them toward the security forces. Later, at around 15:20, Molotov cocktails also began to be thrown at police.
Cloud of smoke in the area, police used water and tear gas
A cloud of smoke formed in front of the Ministry of Education building. It was initially reported as flares, but it was later clarified that the smoke came from a fire that had been extinguished in trash bins near the protest area.
Police, who until that stage had shown restraint in physical intervention, used a water cannon truck as a preventive measure. Later, as the Molotov attacks continued, tear gas was also used.
The march moved toward the Prime Minister’s Office
After several hours of tensions and clashes with police near the Ministry of Education, the protesters left the area and began marching toward the Prime Minister’s Office.
Throughout the event, police also recalled the government’s normative act on protests, which according to the official announcement bans the wearing of masks and attacks on law enforcement forces. On the ground, however, developments showed that the calls and warnings were not enough to contain the escalation.
The protest, which began with two separate organizations and with the claim of support for students, ended in a scene of tension in which civic discontent, political confrontation and the reaction of law enforcement forces became intertwined.
It remained evident that the convergence of the student protest with the opposition-led crowd produced not only confusion on the ground, but also open rejection from protesters who did not accept lining up under party flags.