Albania student demo turns violent, police fire tear gas
Protesters demanded lower tuition, financial support and job prospects, while several demonstrators were detained.
A student protest in Tirana, Albania, turned violent as demonstrators threw bricks and chunks of concrete at the Education Ministry, prompting police to disperse the crowd with tear gas and water cannon. Several protesters were detained. The nationwide action was driven by complaints about campus conditions, the high cost of higher education, limited financial aid and weak job prospects after graduation. Some participants also raised issues of social inequality, corruption and demands for Prime Minister Edi Rama to resign. In Indonesian media reports, the crowd also attacked the building of another ministry. Deputy Prime Minister Albana Koçiu condemned damage to public facilities and attacks on police.