Albania's anti-government protests have become a global flashpoint after demonstrators set fire to offices inside the country's Supreme Court in Tirana — and the images have now ignited a fierce political row in India, where leaders are trading charges of anarchy, foreign conspiracies, and threats to democracy.
Fire at the Supreme Court: how Tirana's protests escalated
The fire broke out late on Saturday, October 17, as the protests entered their fifth day, Al Jazeera reported. Offices at the Supreme Court were set ablaze and the entrance of the Bank of Albania was torched; on October 19, local media said protesters also entered Tirana's Court of Appeal.
The unrest began as student-led protests over university conditions and living costs, growing into the broader "Flamingo Revolution" movement demanding Prime Minister Edi Rama's resignation over corruption allegations. Police have used tear gas, water cannon, and rubber bullets; 272 people have been injured, including 169 officers, and 167 people arrested.
Rama refuses to resign, warns on Albania's EU bid
Rama, in power since 2013 and re-elected to a fourth consecutive term in 2025, has refused to quit, warning the violence threatens Albania's bid to join the European Union by 2030. Justice Minister Toni Gogu condemned the attacks, and on October 19 Rama offered talks "anytime, anywhere, without conditions" via public broadcaster RTSH.
The India row: Raut's 'lesson' meets the BJP's 'anarchy' charge
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut shared news of the attack on X, suggesting India take a "lesson" from the unrest: "The people of Albania have burned down the Supreme Court… helping corrupt prime ministers. The protesting public has also attacked the parliament and government offices… All countries should learn a lesson from these events. Especially India."
The BJP hit back. Leader Pradeep Bhandari accused the opposition alliance of "threatening anarchy and the Supreme Court," calling it "a threat to Indian Democracy," while BJP leader C. R. Kesavan likened Raut to "a modern-day Mir Jafar," accusing him of betrayal against constitutional institutions.
Union Minister Kiren Rijiju warned of a foreign-backed strategy to incite unrest inside India, drawing parallels with recent violence in France and Bangladesh. "Anti-India gangs and some politicians had colluded to incite the youth and spread violence on our streets," he said, adding: "Regime change in India is absolutely possible, but only through elections, not through Soros." ANI reported the government's case cites a Fox News Digital probe of France's protests that found most of the 50 key organising groups were far-left parties and unions rather than student bodies.
Congress leaders rejected the "foreign conspiracy" narrative. Shashi Tharoor said: "India is not Bangladesh and India is not France… We only believe in peaceful protest… What we are calling for is free and fair elections. It's a constitutional issue, not an issue of trying to topple a regime." Pawan Khera accused the ruling party of weaponizing European events to polarize voters.
A wider European wave of unrest
The Albania clashes sit within a broader European wave. In France, cost-of-living demonstrations that began with high-school students spiraled into severe street violence with more than 2,500 arrests; protesters blocked the Louvre's entrance on October 19. Clashes also hit Milan, Brussels, and Liège, with housing protests spreading across Spain and Portugal.
Music in this post's reel: Kevin MacLeod - Volatile Reaction (incompetech.com), licensed under CC BY 3.0
The takeaway: For Albania, the question is whether the movement can sustain pressure without violence derailing its EU ambitions — and whether Rama's offer of unconditional talks can break the impasse. For India, the Tirana fire has become a proxy battleground: one side reads the images as a warning about corruption and the right to protest, while the other reads them as a warning about anarchy and foreign interference.
Sources
- Al Jazeera — Fire engulfs Albania's Supreme Court as protests enter fifth day
- Lokmat Times (ANI) — Albania Supreme Court Fire Ignites Political Row in India
- WION — Albania protesters set Supreme Court on fire as anti-Rama riots escalate
- Business Standard — Why are people demanding Edi Rama's resignation?