People take part in a protest against a luxury resort, a plan by a company linked to US President Donald Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, on an environmentally sensitive part of the Adriatic coast, in Tirana, Albania, Jun 10, 2026. REUTERS/Florion Goga
Published : 13 Oct 2026, 11:00 PM
Updated : 13 Oct 2026, 11:00 PM
Albanian students clashed with police during a nationwide protest over education, employment and social inequality on Tuesday, throwing bricks and concrete blocks at the education ministry in the capital, Tirana.
Police responded with tear gas and water cannons, and detained several protesters.
Student organisers said the demonstration was aimed at university conditions, the cost of higher education, financial support and employment prospects after graduation. Some protesters also voiced frustration over inequality and the government.
“What Albania needs is a revolution, a change, a complete overthrow of the system because it can’t go on like this,” protester Luljeta Kola said, citing deep social injustice and a wide gap between rich and poor.
The protest comes amid a broader wave of student activism in Europe. In France, high school students have staged weeks of protests and school blockades, demanding more teachers and better facilities. They say deteriorating school buildings and overcrowded classrooms are undermining education.
Albanian Deputy Prime Minister Albana Koçiu condemned the violence in a Facebook post, saying that throwing stones, attacking public institutions and police, and damaging public property were not appropriate ways for young people to express themselves.