WATCH | Albania protesters set Supreme Court on fire as anti-Rama riots escalate
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "WATCH | Albania protesters set Supreme Court on fire as anti-Rama riots escalate")
Riot police officers fire rubber bullets towards protesters during an anti-government demonstration in central Tirana on October 18, 2026, as protests continued for a sixth consecutive day over university conditions and demands for the resignation of Albania's Prime Minister. Photograph: (AFP)
Anti-government protests in Albania escalated as demonstrators set fire to parts of the Supreme Court in Tirana, with hundreds arrested and police reporting widespread injuries.
Protesters set fire to part of Albania's Supreme Court on Saturday, the fifth day of an escalating wave of violent, anti-government demonstrations. Files were left scattered and furniture burned, and a parked car outside also burned. On Saturday evening, fires were set in several buildings, including the Supreme Court, the entrance to the Bank of Albania and post offices. Albanian media also reported that an officer's leg caught fire after he was hit, though details are unconfirmed.
Police used tear gas and water cannons against hundreds of protesters who gathered in Tirana for the sixth consecutive day to demand the departure of Prime Minister Edi Rama, who has been in power for 13 years. Protesters are also denouncing teaching conditions and university tuition fees.
According to state officials, at least 132 police officers have sustained injuries. Law enforcement has arrested 167 individuals and initiated criminal proceedings against nearly 400 people. They also said they had reports of armed people among the crowd and of gunshots, and seized cartridges and Molotov cocktails.
Prime Minister Edi Rama has refused to resign, warning that the unrest threatens Albania's path to EU membership, which it targets for 2030. The EU delegation voiced concern and asked for a proportionate response after allegations of excessive police force.
The latest wave began as student protests over study and living conditions, the cost of living, and job prospects. On October 14, riots lasted more than eight hours. At least four ministries were damaged, 35 people were detained, and 29 people were treated for injuries. The students have joined the "flamingo" movement, which has rallied for months, demanding Rama's resignation over alleged corruption in a coastal tourism development linked to Jared Kushner, US President Donald Trump's son-in-law.
