Firework rockets light up streets as Albania protests turn violent
It looked like a scene straight out of a Harry Potter movie, except there were no wizards, no magic spells and certainly no happy ending in sight.In Albania’s capital, Tirana, protesters fired streams of fireworks at riot police, turning the streets into a fiery spectacle as an anti-government demonstration descended into clashes.
Visuals showed protesters firing streams of firework rockets towards riot police and fireworks exploding during an anti-government demonstration on Saturday.
According to Reuters, riot police used tear gas, water cannons and rubber bullets to disperse demonstrators who threw rocks at officers and started a fire at the entrance to the agriculture ministry.
Behind the dramatic flashes and exploding rockets, however, lay a deeper crisis.The student-led protests, fuelled by anger over alleged government corruption, unemployment and poor education standards, have spread across central Tirana and other Albanian cities this month.Demonstrators have demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama and have targeted government buildings and banks, smashed shop windows and pulled up paving stones to throw at police, Reuters reported.The unrest follows months of largely peaceful summer protests against a luxury coastal development backed by US President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, according to Reuters.
Protesters in Tirana had also hurled flares, firebombs and fireworks at police over the preceding week.Students have called for lower tuition fees, greater state investment in education and action against corruption in the education system, with some joining the wider movement against Rama's government.The protests in Albania were part of demonstrations across several European countries, including France, Italy, Spain and Portugal, over issues ranging from corruption and education to the cost of living, pensions and housing.