Police used rubber bullets for the first time and arrested 167 people after five days of student-led protests demanding Edi Rama's resignation over corruption, education and unemployment.
01Summary
- 01Police fired rubber bullets at protesters in Tirana for the first time since demonstrations began on 12 October 2026.
- 02Nine protesters and four police officers received medical treatment on 17 October, and 167 people have been arrested over five days.
- 03Protesters threw stones, petrol bombs and fireworks, and set cars and rubbish bins alight near the prime minister's office.
- 04Prime Minister Edi Rama refused to resign and accused conservative opponents of encouraging the violence.
- 05Student demonstrations demand lower university fees, better facilities, jobs and an end to government corruption.
02Why it matters
This matters because the protests have escalated from a student movement over education and jobs into a wider challenge to the government, with violence spreading to other cities and potentially destabilising the ruling Socialist Party.
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