A man waves a large Albanian flag in front of riot police during protests in Tirana, Albania [Florion Goga/Reuters]By AFPPublished On 18 Oct 202618 Oct 2026Protesters have clashed with riot police in Albania’s capital, as antigovernment demonstrations escalated into violent unrest.
Demonstrations have shaken Tirana since Tuesday, with thousands of protesters calling for Prime Minister Edi Rama to step down as they rally against poor university conditions, high tuition fees and corruption.
This week’s unrest follows months of antigovernment protests in the Balkan nation, initially prompted by a controversial resort development linked to United States President Donald Trump’s family.
