Albania Riots Reach Fifth Day With 167 Arrests and 132 Injured Officers

Anti-government unrest in Albania's capital, Tirana, entered a fifth day on Saturday, with fresh clashes near the prime minister's office. Police say 167 people have been arrested and 132 officers injured, according to The Independent and ABC News, which carried a report from The Associated Press.

Prime Minister Edi Rama has ruled out stepping down, leaving the protesters' central demand unmet as the violence spreads through the city center.

The key numbers behind the unrest

• Five days: The riots had lasted this long as of Saturday. Police chief Skender Hita said officers had faced violence at rallies throughout that time.
• 167 arrests: Police reported this total for the unrest so far.
• 132 injured officers: Police gave this figure for officers hurt. The sources do not say how many protesters were injured.
• Seven suspended officers: Hita said seven police officers were suspended while investigators look into allegations that they went beyond their duties.
• Since 2013: Rama, a Socialist, has been prime minister for this long and is serving his fourth term.

What happened on Saturday

Protesters threw rocks, petrol bombs, flares and fireworks at police, according to the report. Officers responded with tear gas, water cannon and baton charges as the clashes moved through central Tirana.

After dark, police worked to clear streets covered in rocks while tear gas and smoke from burning trash bins hung in the air. Youths set cars on fire, attacked government offices and pushed against police cordons, often forcing officers to fall back, the report said.

Hita said masked, violent individuals had attacked police officers and public institutions for long hours and had damaged public and private property. He described the suspensions as a response to allegations of officers "exceeding their duties," without giving further detail.

Who is protesting and why

The violence grew after high school and university students joined a wider movement demanding Rama's resignation. The current protests follow months of rallies in Tirana organized by the so-called Flamingo movement. According to the report, that movement began in opposition to a large luxury tourism project on Albania's southern coast, linked to an investment firm founded by Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of U.S. President Donald Trump.

What Rama and the police say

In a video message, Rama said he would not let anyone endanger the country's future for political gain. He accused his conservative opponents of inciting the clashes. He said his responsibility in these difficult hours was to protect citizens, guarantee justice and move Albania forward.

The police account, which blames masked and violent individuals, and Rama's account, which blames political opponents, are both claims made by officials. The sources do not include a response from the opposition or the protest organizers to these accusations.

What this means for people in Tirana and for Albania

For residents of the capital, the unrest has reached everyday public space. Clashes have spread through the city center, streets have been littered with debris, cars have been burned and government offices have been attacked. Police reported damage to both public and private property.

Politically, the situation is a standoff. The protesters want Rama to go, while he has said he will stay and has placed responsibility for the disorder on his opponents. The number of arrests and injured officers suggests the confrontations have been sustained rather than isolated. The suspension of seven officers also shows that police conduct is now under scrutiny alongside the actions of protesters.

The protests have also drawn attention beyond Albania because of the link to the coastal development tied to a firm founded by Kushner. Reports so far do not detail how the project figures in the students' current demands.

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Around Prague, based on reporting by The Independent, ABC News