Politics
Albanian student protests turn violent as education ministry and banks set ablaze
October 14, 2026 at 06:32 PM · Updated 2d ago
4 reports · 1 in Arabic, 3 in English · over 6 hours
BNBBC News
Albania protests: Student protesters attack government ministries in Tirana
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TGThe Guardian
Student protests in Albania turn violent as demonstrators clash with police
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AJAl Jazeera English
Fire erupts at Albania’s Education Ministry as protests enter third day
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AJAl Jazeera Arabic
اشتباكات في ألبانيا احتجاجا على تردي الأوضاع التعليمية
(opens the publisher’s site)Student protesters in Tirana clashed with police for a third day, setting fires that damaged the education ministry and two banks.
- Demonstrators broke into the education ministry overnight and lit a fire, and a Raiffeisen Bank branch also caught alight.
- Albanian police reported 16 arrests, 49 people facing criminal proceedings, and injuries to six officers and one journalist.
- Deputy PM Albana Koçiu said protesting is a legitimate right but it cannot be used as an excuse for violence and vandalism.
- The protests, tied to the "Flamingo Revolution" movement, demand the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama over education costs and corruption.
- The protesters also demand better university conditions and job prospects in addition to Prime Minister Edi Rama's resignation.
- The corruption allegations behind the protests relate to a luxury tourism project associated with Jared Kushner.