Thousands of protesters marched through Albania’s capital, Tirana, on Saturday, October 24, as student-led demonstrations against Prime Minister Edi Rama’s government turned violent, with government buildings set on fire and riot police firing tear gas, water cannons and rubber bullets to disperse the crowds.
The clashes, which began in front of the education ministry in the early afternoon, marked a fresh escalation after several quieter days in unrest that has shaken the capital since mid-October. Authorities say more than 300 protesters and police officers have been injured during the wider unrest, and dozens of demonstrators have been detained.
What happened in Tirana on Saturday
Protesters gathered around 2 p.m. local time in front of the education ministry, a focal point of the student movement, and threw stones and rocks at police lines. Officers pushed the crowd back, and demonstrators dispersed to several locations across the city centre.
Some protesters started a fire at the entrance of the agriculture ministry, while government buildings and banks have also been set on fire during the wider unrest. Demonstrators smashed shop windows and pulled up paving stones to throw at police, according to reports from the capital.
Riot police responded with tear gas, water cannons and rubber bullets. Authorities said 2,500 officers patrolled the streets of Tirana on Saturday. For over a week, protesters have hurled rocks, flares, firebombs and fireworks at police, who have answered with batons and tear gas in running clashes in the city centre.
A separate protest organised by the opposition outside the prime minister’s office also turned violent earlier, with some activists lighting fires on the street.
Why students are protesting
The demonstrations are led by high school and university students, and their demands start with education: lower tuition fees, greater state investment in schools and universities, and action against corruption in the education system.
But the movement has grown well beyond campus grievances. Many protesters now demand the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama, who has governed Albania since 2013 and won a fourth term in office last year. Protesters cite perceived government corruption, a lack of jobs and poor public services alongside deteriorating education standards.
“Albanians have woken up,” 28-year-old protester Daniel Tahiri said, describing the government as a “dictatorship with the clothes of democracy.” Another protester, 29-year-old Orgeta Likaj, said people wanted Rama to know that Albanians no longer want him because of corruption and scandals.
Economic hardship and emigration have added to the frustration. More than 1.5 million people have left Albania since the fall of Communism in the 1990s, leaving a population of about 2.3 million.
Where the protests began
The current unrest follows months of largely peaceful summer protests against a luxury coastal development linked to Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of US President Donald Trump. Scientists said in July that the development had already caused irreparable damage to a previously pristine stretch of Albania’s coastline.
Anger over that project broadened into a wider campaign against corruption and against Rama’s government, and students picked up the movement in the autumn with their own education demands. What began as a single-issue protest has become the biggest challenge yet to Rama’s long rule.
A weekend of protest across Europe
Tirana was not alone on Saturday. Protests swept several European cities on the same day, over issues ranging from education and corruption to the cost of living, pensions and housing. France saw the largest mobilisation, with more than 400,000 people on the streets nationwide, and our earlier report on the France protests covers how those marches turned violent in Paris. Italy, Belgium, Spain and Portugal also saw demonstrations, though each country’s grievances were different.
The shared pattern is frustration among young people in particular: over education funding, job prospects and trust in political leadership. In Albania, that frustration has now produced the most sustained street challenge Rama has faced.
What Rama has said, and what happens next
Rama said on Saturday that his government was preparing a response to the students’ demands and called them to a dialogue. He also warned that violent protesters will face penalties.
That leaves two paths open: a negotiated response to the education demands, or a harder crackdown if the street clashes continue. Neither side has shown signs of backing down so far, and further demonstrations are likely if the dialogue offer does not produce concrete steps on tuition fees and education funding.
For now, Tirana remains tense. The scale of Saturday’s violence, and the injury toll across the wider unrest, suggests the protests have moved past a passing student demonstration and into a broader test of Rama’s authority.
Timeline
- May 2026: Largely peaceful protests begin against a luxury coastal development linked to Jared Kushner.
- July 2026: Scientists say the coastal development has already caused irreparable damage to a pristine stretch of coastline.
- Mid-October 2026: Student-led demonstrations engulf central Tirana and spread to other Albanian cities.
- Saturday, October 24, 2026, around 2 p.m.: Thousands gather at the education ministry; stones thrown, police respond with tear gas, water cannon and rubber bullets.
- Saturday, October 24, 2026: Fire started at the agriculture ministry entrance; separate opposition protest outside the prime minister’s office turns violent.
- Saturday, October 24, 2026: Rama says the government is preparing a response to student demands, calls for dialogue, and warns violent protesters will face penalties.
- Sunday, October 25, 2026: Reports confirm more than 300 protesters and police injured across the unrest, with dozens detained.
Frequently asked questions
Why are people protesting in Albania? Students are demanding lower tuition fees, greater state investment in education and action against corruption in the education system. The movement has widened into a broader anti-government campaign demanding Prime Minister Edi Rama’s resignation over corruption, unemployment and poor public services.
What happened in Tirana on Saturday, October 24? Thousands gathered at the education ministry, threw stones at police, and set fire to the entrance of the agriculture ministry. Riot police used tear gas, water cannons and rubber bullets to disperse the crowds, and a separate opposition protest outside the prime minister’s office also turned violent.
How many people have been injured? Authorities say more than 300 protesters and police officers have been injured during the wider unrest, and dozens of demonstrators have been detained.
Who is Edi Rama? Edi Rama is Albania’s prime minister. He has governed since 2013 and won a fourth term in office last year. The current unrest is described as the biggest challenge yet to his rule.
What started the protests? The unrest followed months of largely peaceful summer protests against a luxury coastal development linked to Jared Kushner. That anger broadened into student demands on education and then into a wider anti-government movement.
What happens next? Rama has said his government is preparing a response to the students’ demands and has called them to a dialogue, while warning that violent protesters will face penalties. Further protests are likely if the dialogue does not produce concrete steps.
Related coverage
Read our earlier report on the France protests, which erupted on the same weekend as part of the wider wave of demonstrations across Europe. You can also browse more stories in our World section.