Tirana Protest: Rubber Bullets and Tear Gas at Ministry

Students, young people and citizens gathered on Saturday, October 17, for a fifth consecutive day outside the Ministry of Education in Tirana, and according to Albanian media, police fired tear gas and rubber bullets at the demonstrators. The region is watching because in another Western Balkan country, an EU candidate like Serbia, student demands over education are turning into a street confrontation with the government of Edi Rama. Protests are continuing in other Albanian cities as well.

What happened outside the ministry

According to RTRS, citing the portal Albanian Post, police first used tear gas after demonstrators began throwing eggs and stones, and rubber bullets were fired afterward. Several masked participants pulled a protective barrier from beside the road and set it on the roadway as an obstacle facing the police. Trash bins burned in the middle of the street, and a burning suitcase, a symbol of people leaving the country, was thrown into the ministry yard.

The gathering began as a rally of students and citizens. Medical students marched toward the ministry building chanting “Rama, resign.” During the protest, a 16-year-old participant addressed the police officers and urged them not to use violence against young people.

Why demonstrators want a police officer held accountable

Among the demands is accountability for an incident the day before, when a police officer forcefully shoved a 21-year-old demonstrator. According to RTCG, the young man is under medical supervision, and current assessments say there is no risk of paralysis and no need for surgery.

The Police Oversight Agency said it is monitoring the situation to check every possible case of officers breaking the law. It has collected footage published by the media and video material from social networks, which will be analyzed to clarify the circumstances of each individual case and establish any responsibility.

How many were arrested and injured

Tirana police said 10 people were arrested over Friday’s incidents and proceedings were opened against 22 more. According to police, demonstrators threw stones and hard objects at officers and at the Ministry of Education building. Eight officers were injured, and the ministry building and traffic signs were damaged.

At the University Hospital for Traumatology in Tirana, 21 people received treatment:

• eight police officers
• ten demonstrators
• three passersby

At the regional hospital in Vlore, three people were treated, one of them a police officer. In Lezhe, a minor girl was injured and discharged from hospital after an examination.

Overall figures since the start of the protests differ from outlet to outlet. Regional media, citing data from Albania’s Interior Ministry, report 156 injured, including 97 police officers, and 127 arrested in Tirana. Other reports put the number of arrests at 160, so these figures should be read as approximate.

Rama toured the damage

Prime Minister Edi Rama toured damaged parts of Tirana in the morning. In one of the wrecked businesses, he said owners of firms that suffered damage would receive help and should report it through the “Dëmi im” (“My Damage”) service on the e-Albania portal. He said he supports the right of students and all citizens to protest, but condemned violence and the destruction of property. Masked people who smash businesses, he said, are committing crimes, and anyone who destroys private and public property must answer for it.

Where the protest came from

The student-led protests began over dissatisfaction with the state of education, high costs of study and poor job prospects for young people. They grew into broader demonstrations against Rama’s government, with a demand for his resignation. They are accompanied by violent clashes with police, attacks on state institutions and private businesses, burned vehicles and fires. We covered the earlier course of events, when Rama said he would not back down and 47 people were arrested in Tirana, in the article “Protests in Albania: Rama Does Not Give In, 47 Arrested in Tirana.”