Protests In Albania Have Escalated Into Clashes With Police

• 15.10.2026, 17:43

Students took to the streets.

In Tirana, the capital of Albania, clashes between student protesters and police have continued for the third day in a row, reports the Associated Press. On Thursday, young people pelted a police cordon near the Ministry of Education building with stones; law enforcement responded with tear gas and water cannons, and several demonstrators were detained. The day before, protesters vandalized government buildings, banks, and stores: according to the Ministry of Health, 89 people were injured, including 61 police officers.

Students seeking education reform have joined the so-called “Flamingo Movement.” Its participants are demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama over corruption allegations and are opposing an elite resort in the south of the country linked to an investment company owned by Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner. The movement got its name from posters featuring pink birds, thousands of which inhabit a nature reserve on the island where the construction is planned. On October 15, schoolchildren also joined the marches of tens of thousands in central Tirana.

Rama himself recorded a video address on Thursday against the backdrop of the burned-out college building. He accused his political opponents of inciting violence and promised to remain in office to continue Albania’s path toward the European Union. The prime minister stated:

“No one will be able to strangle Albania. Anyone who thinks the law does not apply to them is mistaken.”

The opposition Democratic Party expressed support for the students and called on Rama to appoint an interim government to prepare for early elections. Rama’s Socialists won the election for the fourth consecutive time last year; the next parliamentary election is not scheduled until 2029. The EU Delegation to Albania called on the authorities to respond proportionately and expressed concern over the “violent escalation” of the protests.