Sixth Day of Violent Protests in Tirana; Albania's Prime Minister Rama Says He Will Not Resign
Violent protests took place in Albania's capital Tirana for the sixth consecutive day, and Prime Minister Edi Rama, in his fourth term, ruled out the possibility of resigning. On Sunday too, hundreds of protesters gathered in front of the Ministry of Education chanting 'Rama, resign.'
A tense standoff developed between the protesters and police. Police later used rubber bullets, water cannon and tear gas to hold back the crowd, according to reports.
Shops and establishments in the city center have secured their doors and windows with metal shutters. Meanwhile, city workers have removed paving stones from the sidewalks to prevent them from being used by protesters.
Lindita Karadaku, a journalist with the Albanian media outlet TV Klan, said on Sunday that it is difficult to understand which way this unrest will go or how long it will last. In her words, Prime Minister Rama is firm and has made it very clear that he will not resign; but the protesting young people are also firm and are making clear that they will not give up easily. At this moment, what will happen tomorrow is clear to no one.
In a live broadcast on social media on Sunday, Rama said, 'The government is not being challenged.' However, he also indicated that the ongoing unrest could affect Albania's path to joining the European Union.
Rama said Albania's citizens need to think very clearly — whether this is what they want, or whether they want the European Union. Albania hopes to obtain membership by 2030, so the comment added a new dimension to the political context of the protests.
The protesters are demanding better education, more employment, an end to the alleged ongoing corruption, and Rama's resignation. According to local media reports, protesters in Tirana have mainly targeted government institutions and the police, including the Ministry of Education building and the area around Rama's office.
The prime minister, in power since 2013, has alleged the involvement of a 'foreign hand' behind the rise of the protests and has said his government is making the utmost effort to combat corruption.
At the same time, Rama said he is ready to listen to students' fair demands and to discuss the cost of education. But he also stressed that those responsible for destroying property must be held accountable.
According to the Health Ministry's report on Sunday morning, 65 people were injured, among them 37 police officers, and 12 were admitted to hospital. Since Tuesday, a total of 272 people have been injured in the clashes, among them 169 police officers.
Discontent in Albania had been growing for several months. This year's first protests in the country were called the 'Flamingo Revolution' and began in May. In those protests, people took to the streets against a controversial luxury tourism complex project in the south of the country; the project is linked to Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of US President Donald Trump, according to reports.
Even at the end of the sixth day of protests, neither side showed any sign of stepping back. Rama's uncompromising stance on resignation and the protesters' insistence on their demands — in the standoff between the two, uncertainty over Tirana's coming days is now the biggest reality.
