Thousands of people have gathered again this Saturday in Tirana, the capital of Albania, in a new day of mobilizations against the Albanian government, led by students and opposition parties, while the Police have resorted to charges, tear gas, and water cannons to disperse large groups of protesters.
Authorities have indicated that 2,500 agents have been deployed with the aim of containing possible disturbances in protests that began in May. This Saturday, attacks against official buildings, dozens of arrests, and more than 300 injuries among protesters and police have been reported.
University professors, artists, and opposition parties such as the Democratic Party have urged citizens to join the protests and hold Prime Minister Edi Rama responsible for the situation.
One of the first gestures of the day was a gathering in front of the Government headquarters, where seven red upholstered chairs were burned with a sign reading "dialogue" on the seat, placed by Rama as a gesture of invitation to the students. Subsequently, the march continued to the Ministry of Education.
High school and university students are demanding a reduction in fees, an increase in public spending on education, and denouncing corruption in the educational system. The opposition has now joined these demands, calling for Rama's resignation. However, students also reject opposition leader and former Prime Minister Sali Berisha and chant slogans like "Rama to prison; Berisha to prison."
Rama, for his part, has issued a warning regarding episodes of violence and has insisted that institutions will act in response to any incident. "Those who glorify violence, those who echo violence, and those who perpetrate violent acts must understand that although there may be intense, concentrated, and prolonged urban terror, the State's response will also be prolonged and persistent," he explained.
These protests are part of the so-called Revolution of the Flamingos which, although currently focused on educational demands, also serves as a platform to reject a real estate project on the Adriatic coast linked to former U.S. President Donald Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner.