TIRANA, Albania — Prime Minister Edi Rama vowed he will not resign as student-led anti-government protests entered a third day of clashes with police in Tirana, after demonstrators attacked ministries and set the Education Ministry ablaze, BBC News and The Guardian reported.
Protests that began Tuesday over university conditions, tuition and job prospects turned violent on Wednesday. Riot police used tear gas and water cannon; police said 51 officers were injured and 65 people arrested, while Tirana’s public hospital treated seven injured protesters, The Guardian reported.
“As for calls for my resignation, governments are changed through democratic elections. We had elections last year, not a revolution,” Rama told Reuters in written answers cited by the Guardian. He said he would discuss education costs but condemned attacks on institutions as unrelated to legitimate student demands.
Deputy Prime Minister Albana Koçiu urged “calmness” and said “Albania does not need to burn to change.” Student Enida Bimi told Reuters the anger was about “corruption all around,” while Education Minister Mirela Kumbaro drew a line between civic protest and violence against public property. The unrest is the biggest challenge yet to Rama’s fourth term.
Sources: BBC News, The Guardian
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