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Albania protests enter fifth day as 80 face charges
BBC News·
Anti-government protesters battled riot police in Tirana Saturday for a fifth day, the BBC reported. Masked students threw rocks and petrol bombs near the education ministry while police used water cannon and tear gas. Authorities charged 80 people with disorder and detained hundreds more. Protests target corruption allegations against Prime Minister Edi Rama, in power 13 years.
Prism
What It Means For You
- Students boycotting classes in Tirana face missed lectures while protests continue downtown.
- Shop owners near the education ministry risk property damage when petrol bombs ignite street debris.
- Travellers may encounter road closures along Tirana's main boulevard during afternoon clashes.
What's Happening
- Protests that began in summer widened into calls for Rama's resignation over graft claims.
- Volunteers handed saline syringes to crowds to ease tear gas effects, reporters on scene said.
- Special police reinforcements arrived as dusk fell on Saturday after afternoon surges.
Albania's long-running political duel
- Socialist Prime Minister Edi Rama has held office for 13 years in a polarised system.
- Opposition Democratic Party figure Sali Berisha dominated politics for decades before him.
- Journalist Osman Stafa called for a neutral caretaker government to hold new elections within a year.
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