Thousands of young Albanians marched through the capital on Friday, calling on Rama to step down over government corruption and poor university conditions. Riot police deployed outside the education ministry, and violence flared as demonstrators threw rocks and police responded with water cannon and tear gas.
In a video address, Rama dismissed the protests as not a genuine student phenomenon.
“This is not a student phenomenon,” he said, alleging that there were “foreign hands that do not wish for Albania to be at peace.” He insisted the demonstrations had “absolutely nothing to do with the hardships, problems or legitimate aspirations of anyone who desires a better life.”
The protests, which began months ago largely peacefully, were originally triggered by the sale of part of Albania’s coastline to a luxury resort development linked to Jared Kushner, US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law. In recent days, the unrest has become increasingly violent, with demonstrators targeting government buildings and banks. On Tuesday, protesters hurled bricks and concrete blocks at the education ministry and set fire to several buildings, including the prime minister’s office, the finance and justice ministries and several bank branches.
The unrest has spread beyond Tirana to Elbasan, Shkodra and Korca, where local media reported that demonstrators broke windows and set fire to rubbish bins.
According to a police statement, 160 people were detained on Thursday evening over alleged acts of violence.
Protesters are demanding Rama’s resignation as well as electoral and education reforms. Rama, whose government denies corruption, said he was ready to discuss rising education costs but rejected calls to resign.
“My responsibility is to listen, address legitimate concerns and keep Albania moving forward,” he said on Thursday. He added that his resignation “would be a betrayal of the Albanians who gave me a strong mandate to complete negotiations on European Union membership.”
Corruption scandals have complicated Albania’s efforts to join the EU. Analysts have described the country as a hub for gangs seeking to launder money from drug and weapons trafficking.
Rama won a fourth term last year on promises to advance EU accession talks.