Thousands gather at new Albanian antigovernment rally

More than 300 protesters and police were injured in the Albanian capital Tirana’s fiercest clashes in days.

Al JazeeraAl Jazeera Staff2026-10-24 18:30查看原文 ↗

More than 300 protesters and police were injured in the Albanian capital Tirana’s fiercest clashes in days.

Protesters clashed with riot police again on Saturday during a demonstration to demand better support for education and the prime minister's resignation, in central Tirana on October 24, 2026 [Armend Nimani/AFP]

Protesters have clashed with police in rallies in the Albanian capital of Tirana, with police firing tear gas and water cannon to disperse crowds.

Several government buildings were attacked, dozens of demonstrators arrested, and more than 300 protesters and police injured, authorities said Saturday.

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Protesters and police have routinely clashed since a significant wave of protests started in mid-October over poor conditions in schools and the cost of living in the small Balkan country.

While the protests in Tirana had calmed in recent days, Saturday’s demonstration escalated the situation again, with police deploying water cannon, tear gas and rubber bullets against crowds.

Thousands of people had heeded calls from organisers for students and others around Albania to attend the rally. Various groups, including university professors, artists and opposition parties, announced their support or attendance.

The country’s Ministry of Education has become a focal point of rallies, and Saturday’s gathering saw some in the crowd throwing stones and rolling burning bins at the building.

Police had introduced heightened security around the capital on Saturday, with checks being carried out on cars heading to the city, local media reported.

Albania has seen intermittent antigovernment protests since May , when news emerged of a luxury hotel project linked to United States President Donald Trump’s family .

Protesters take aim at PM

Since then, public anger has turned into a broader push against corruption and the high cost of living, with protesters calling for the resignation of Socialist Prime Minister Edi Rama.

Rama has blamed “foreign actors” for the violence and accused both Russia and Iran of driving online misinformation.

The prime minister has called for dialogue, and on Saturday red cushions were laid outside the government headquarters in a symbolic gesture for talk and dialogue. Protesters later set the cushions on fire.

Protesters have blamed the entire political class for the crisis, with some also seen holding signs decrying Rama’s opposition, centre-right leader Sali Berisha.

Thousands of people attended Saturday’s antigovernment rally in Tirana [Hameraldi Agolli/AP]

在阿尔巴尼亚首都地拉那发生的数日来最激烈的冲突中，超过 300 名抗议者和警察受伤。

2026年10月24日星期六，在首都地拉那市中心，抗议者再次与防暴警察发生冲突。抗议者举行示威活动，要求政府更好地支持教育并要求总理辞职。[Armend Nimani/AFP]

在阿尔巴尼亚首都地拉那举行的集会上，抗议者与警方发生冲突，警方发射催泪瓦斯和高压水炮驱散人群。

当局周六表示，多座政府大楼遭到袭击，数十名示威者被捕，超过300名抗议者和警察受伤。

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自 10 月中旬以来，针对巴尔干小国学校条件恶劣和生活成本高昂的大规模抗议活动开始，抗议者和警察之间经常发生冲突。

尽管地拉那的抗议活动在最近几天有所缓和，但周六的示威活动再次使局势升级，警方对人群动用了水炮、催泪瓦斯和橡皮子弹。

组织者号召阿尔巴尼亚各地的学生和其他人士参加集会，数千人响应。包括大学教授、艺术家和反对党在内的多个团体宣布表示支持或将参加集会。

该国教育部已成为集会的焦点，周六的集会中，一些示威者向教育部大楼投掷石块，并滚动燃烧的垃圾桶。