On the fifth day of student-led anti-government protests in Albania, Prime Minister Edi Rama accused unnamed "foreign hands" of fueling the unrest — a claim offered without evidence as riot police clashed with demonstrators in Tirana on Saturday, October 17, 2026.
Fifth Day of Clashes in Tirana
Thousands of young Albanians gathered outside the Education Ministry in central Tirana for a fifth consecutive day, in a growing movement demanding Rama's resignation over corruption and inadequate university conditions. The protest turned violent when masked youths hurled rocks at riot police, who responded with stun grenades, tear gas, and a water cannon.
Reuters reporters at the scene found rubber pellets on the ground; two Reuters journalists and several protesters were hit. Police chief Skender Hita did not deny the use of rubber bullets, saying: "All means that were used were employed in a limited manner, including the most recent ones."
Police figures put the number of detained protesters at about 500, with 330 released; 120 police officers and 45 protesters were registered as injured, though injuries to protesters are likely undercounted. Hita separately said 1,067 people had been arrested and 388 criminally prosecuted. Targets of the unrest included the education ministry, pelted with bricks and concrete blocks; the finance ministry entrance, which was set ablaze; and fires at the prime minister's office, the justice ministry, the College of Europe building, and several bank branches.
"Foreign Hands": Rama's Accusation
In a Friday video address, Rama said: "This is not a student phenomenon... there were 'foreign hands that do not wish for Albania to be at peace.'" He maintained the demonstrations had "absolutely nothing to do with the hardships, problems or legitimate aspirations of anyone who desires a better life," accusing unnamed foreign interests of seeking to hamper Albania's bid to join the European Union — without providing details or evidence.
Interior Minister Ervin Demo said Friday that 156 people had been injured, including 97 police officers, describing the unrest as "a disguised attempt by those who seek to seize power through violence." He acknowledged that excessive police force had been registered in two instances, with officers suspended; Hita said Saturday that seven officers were suspended and faced disciplinary investigations for "exceeding their authority" and "failure to respect the principle of proportionality."
Rama told Reuters this week he would not step down, saying "governments change in democratic elections, not through revolution," while adding on Saturday that his government "respected the students and would protect their right to protest."
The Resort at the Heart of the Unrest
The unrest follows months of largely peaceful protests triggered by plans to build a luxury resort on Albania's pristine southern coastline, backed by investors including Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of US President Donald Trump. Villagers told Reuters in July that their land had been wrongfully sold for the development. Reuters later reported that the man who sold the land was wanted by prosecutors on suspicion of drug trafficking, accusations his lawyer denied; Reuters found no evidence of wrongdoing by Kushner, who is not directly involved in the villagers' dispute.
Protests have spread beyond Tirana to Elbasan, Shkodra, and Korca. Medical student Juri Taullahu, 22, told reporters: "It's been 13 years of corruption and 13 years of doing nothing and empty promises." Rama, who has governed since 2013 and won a fourth term last year, leads the Balkans' EU accession race, though analysts say corruption scandals and money-laundering gangs complicate the bid.
Music in this post's reel: Kevin MacLeod - Volatile Reaction (incompetech.com), licensed under CC BY 3.0
Sources: Reuters (Oct 17, 2026) · Al Jazeera (Oct 16-17, 2026) · The Straits Times (Oct 17, 2026)