A protester holds an Albanian National flag in front of a burning kiosk during an anti-government demonstration in central Tirana on October 15, 2026, as protests continued for a third consecutive day over university conditions and demands for the resignation of Albanian Prime Minister. Photo by Armend NIMANI / AFP
Tirana, Albania: Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama called for calm on Friday and blamed "foreign hands" for days of violent unrest as protesters again gathered in the capital and other cities.
Since Tuesday, violent demonstrations have gripped Tirana, with thousands of protesters calling for Rama's resignation over poor university conditions and high tuition fees.
Protests also spread to several other cities as students joined university boycotts, marking a significant escalation after months of anti-government protests in the country.
Overnight clashes between police and groups of mostly masked protesters continued into the early hours of Friday.
The finance ministry entrance was set ablaze, and the windows of a university complex were smashed.
According to a police statement, 160 protesters were detained for committing acts of violence on Thursday evening.
Demonstrators piled and burned trash bins to block the streets and hurled stones at police, who responded with tear gas and water cannon to disperse them.
An AFP journalist also saw masked groups smashing shop fronts and looting stores, with similar reports around the city.
On Friday morning, hundreds of protesters marched toward the education ministry, which remains a focal point of the demonstrations.
The clashes have left government buildings badly damaged, shopfronts smashed and dozens of people arrested.
This week's escalation comes after months of anti-government protests in the Balkan nation, initially sparked by a controversial resort development linked to US President Donald Trump's family.
Rama, in a statement on Friday, insisted that the protest had "absolutely nothing to do with the hardships, problems or legitimate aspirations of anyone who desires a better life".
"All of this is the work of the very same hand, the hand that has gripped the Albanian opposition by the throat, the hand that has burned and destroyed Albania more than once."
He accused unnamed "foreign hands" of fuelling the unrest and wanting to hamper his country's bid to join the European Union.
"These are foreign hands that do not wish for Albania to be at peace," he said in a video posted to his Facebook page.
Since Tuesday, dozens of people, largely police officers, have been injured in the clashes, according to the authorities.
